CM Yogi Expresses Grief Over Death Of Unnao Rape Survivor, Says Case Will Be Taken To Fast-Track Court

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday expressed grief over the death of Unnao rape victim and asserted that the case will be taken to fast-track court. Yogi is ‘extremely saddened to hear of the woman's death,’ and said ‘the case will be heard in a fast-track court and strictest of punishment will be given to the culprits.’  

The woman was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital with 90 burn injuries. She died of cardiac arrest on Friday night, the hospital said. "She suffered the cardiac arrest at 11.10 pm and we tried to resuscitate her, but she could not survive, and at 11.40 pm, she died," Dr Shalabh Kumar, HOD (burns and plastic) at the Safdarjung Hospital, said. 

The rape victim suffered severe burns after five men, including two of the rape accused, allegedly set her on fire while she was on her way to court, the police said. One of the two men accused of raping her last year was granted bail 10 days back. 

Earlier on Friday, the five accused were produced before a court in Unnao and remanded in 14-day judicial custody. All the five accused were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Virat Saxena amid tight security and were sent to Unnao jail under judicial custody, said Inspector Ajay Kumar Tripathi, the in-charge of Bihar police station, where the burning case was registered. 

Unnao Additional Superintendent of Police BK Pandey said efforts will be made to take them in police remand for custodial interrogation and gather evidence in the case. 

The police had arrested the two rape accused, Shivam and Shubham, and their three accomplices in setting the girl aflame on the basis of the victim's statement. 

In her statement to Sub Divisional Magistrate Dayashankar Pathak, the victim had said she was abducted and raped by Shivam Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi in December 2018 and the trial of the case is going on in a Raebareli court. 

She said she was going to Raebareli to pursue the case, but when she reached Gaura turn, Harishankar Trivedi, Ram Kishore Trivedi, Umesh Bajpai along with Shivam and Shubham, armed with knives and lathis attacked her and set her on fire.