Unnao gang-rape victim set on fire by accused dies at hospital in Delhi

New Delhi, December 7, 2019: The gang-rape victim from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, who was brought to Delhi from Lucknow, lost her battle of life late on Friday night. The victim breathed her last at Safdarjung Hospital at 11.40 pm. The last rites will be performed in her native place on Saturday.

Victim sustained 90 per cent burn injuries

The victim was admitted to the burn unit of Safdarjung Hospital late Thursday evening with 90 per cent burn condition. Dr Shalabh Kumar, Head of the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, who treated the victim, said that at 11.10 pm, the victim suffered a heart attack and breathed last at 11.40 pm.

The victim was able to talk between eight and half-past eight on Thursday night. She was asking her elder brother present in the hospital, brother, will I survive, I want to live. The accused are not to be left out. During this time, she was also having trouble breathing and speaking.

Brother demands death sentence for accused persons

Speaking to the media, the victim’s brother said that the culprits have been punished in Hyderabad. Those who tortured my sister should also be sentenced to death. The victim’s mother had also come to Delhi, but she had to be sent home as she was unable to bear the trauma.

Accused set victim on fire by pouring kerosene

The 25-year-old victim was a resident of a village in Bihar police station area of ​​Unnao district. According to the police complaint, two years ago Shivam of the village had taken her to Rae Bareli under the pretext of marriage. There Shivam and his friend Shubham raped her and also made a video of the act. Later Shubham was given a clean chit by the police, while Shivam remained in the Rae Bareli jail for nine months and was released on bail on November 30. The accused continued to press for the withdrawal of the case. On Thursday morning, the victim was going to Baiswara railway station. About three hundred meters away from the village, Shivam Trivedi and some people along with him stopped and poured kerosene and set fire and fled.

In flames, the victim ran for half a kilometre pleading to save her

The victim surrounded by flames kept running for half a kilometre, pleading for protection. In the end, she fell as she approached a gas agency warehouse. Hearing the noise, the guard extinguished the fire and reported on UP 112. The police took the girl to Sumerpur CHC, from where she was taken to the district hospital and from there to Lucknow and was admitted to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Hospital (Civil) at 10:30 AM.  She was shifted to Delhi airport in air ambulance at 8.15 pm. From there, a green corridor was made and brought to Safdarjung Hospital.

All the accused arrested

Based on her statement, all the accused were arrested on Thursday itself. The accused Shivam Trivedi, his father Ramkishore, Shubham Trivedi, Harishankar Trivedi and Umesh Bajpai were taken to Sumerpur CHC on Friday morning for a medical checkup by police. They were produced before a court in Unnao at 6 pm when the court was empty. There was heavy police deployment in the area.

Want justice like Hyderabad

The victim’s parents also want justice like the Hyderabad encounter. They said that their daughter had gone through the same situation. The criminals should be punished similarly. Such action will create fear in the criminals.

Victim’s uncle threatened

On Thursday, before the incident, the main accused Shivam Trivedi had also threatened to kill the victim’s uncle who lives in Gangaghat area. DM and SP spoke to the uncle in Gangaghat Kotwali after the threatening audio went viral. DM said that there is no such thing as intimidation. The accused had asked a relative to find a way to mediate with the uncle. They were supposed to talk on Friday, but it happened before that.

Victim’s life could have been saved

Had the Lalganj police been cautious, the victim might have survived. The victim complained to the police station in 2018, but no action was taken. Then she lodged a report against Shivam and Shubham in Unnao’s Bihar police station on March 4, 2019. On the court’s order, Lalganj police registered the case. On 30 November, Shivam was released on bail from the High Court, but the Lalganj police remained oblivious. Shivam along with his friends tried to burn her alive on Thursday. Based on the victim’s statement recorded by the magistrate, Shivam’s father Ramkishore, Shubham’s father Harishankar Trivedi and Umesh Bajpai have also been charged. They were arrested on Thursday only.