Swati Maliwal Writes To President, UP CM Seeking Early Justice To Nirbhaya, Unnao Rape Survivor

On a day a rape survivor was set ablaze allegedly by five men in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal, whose hunger strike entered the forth day on Friday, demanded early justice for Nirbhaya and the Unnao rape survivor.

Maliwal, who sat on hunger strike at Samta Sthal demanding capital punishment for rapists within six months of their conviction, sent letters to President Ram Nath Kovind and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the issue.

The DCW chief launched her fast at Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday night, but later, she and her supporters were shifted to Samta Sthal, the memorial of former deputy prime minister Jagjivan Ram. In her letter to Adityanath, Maliwal asked him to ensure that death penalty is awarded within 30 days to those who set the rape survivor in Unnao district on fire.

She also accused the Uttar Pradesh government of "remaining in slumber" despite several heinous crimes being committed in the state every day. She also urged President Ram Nath Kovind to reject the mercy petition filed by one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case and ensure that the accused are hanged before December 16, the day the brutal crime was committed seven years ago.

"Today is the third day of my fast unto death. It is freezing. But our problems have faded in front of the pain of the daughters who were raped, burnt alive or had their eyes gouged out! The fast unto death will continue till a strong system is put in place against the rapists. I appeal to everyone to come to Rajghat and encourage us!" the DCW chief tweeted.

Carrying banners demanding freedom from domestic violence, molestation, rape and other such ills, supporters continued to pour in to Samta Sthal and raised slogans expressing solidarity with Maliwal. In another protest, people from all walks of life, including students and women, gathered at Vijay Chowk on Thursday to protest the brutal gang-rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad. The video of a girl, crying in her father's arms, during the melee that ensued as police stopped the protesters went viral. The father could be seen holding his crying daughter to the chest even as police tried to whisk away the protesters. On being asked by the police, they went to Jantar Mantar. But as they were approaching the Jai Singh Road in order to reach near Parliament 27 of them were detained and taken to Mandir Marg police station, police said.

However, they were later released, they added. Maliwal hit out at the government for detaining the protesters and termed it "weak". "Neither does this dumb government want to speak anything on the daily rape, nor does it want to listen to anyone. For the last three days, I have been sitting on a hunger strike and thousands of women are raising their voice every day in the movement. The government is silent. Today, the government has given proof of its weakness by arresting these students," Maliwal tweeted.

The 25-year old veterinary doctor's charred body was found under a culvert at Shadnagar in Hyderabad on November 28. Four men, aged between 20 and 24, have been arrested on charges of raping and killing the woman.