Swati Maliwal, the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), demanded on Saturday that the men who raped a woman in Unnao and eventually caused her death be hanged in a month.
On Thursday, the 23-year-old Unnao rape victim was attacked and set ablaze by a group of five people, including her two alleged rapists, when she was going to board a train to appear in court. The Unnao victim was airlifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, but succumbed to her injuries late on Friday night. All five of the alleged attackers have been arrested.
Maliwal had begun an indefinite hunger strike earlier this week in Delhi to demand introduction of legal provisions for speedy trial and enforcement of capital punishment for rapists within six months of their crime.
Speaking to ANI, Maliwal said, "I appeal to the Uttar Pradesh government and Central government that the rapists in this case (Unnao rape case) should be hanged within a month."
Maliwal also tweeted about the Unnao victim's death, noting, "Another daughter of the country had died after fighting the broken system." Madiwal eulogised the Unnao victim, saying, "She fought even as she was dying, telling doctors she wanted to live to see her attackers hanged."
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Earlier, Maliwal had declared that the killing in an encounter of the four men accused of raping and murdering a veterinarian in Hyderabad on Friday would send a strong message. Maliwal justified the Cyberabad Police's version of events, saying said it was obvious that the police will resort to an encounter if the rapists were trying to run away.
"Now, if the rapists were trying to run away, police obviously will have to do an encounter. That is exactly why we are appealing to the Centre to create a strong system in the country where rapists, specially in such serious cases, are given death penalty within six months after following all due court processes," she said. However, Maliwal reminded that there were thousands of rape victims still awaiting justice in the country.
The Unnao victim had lodged an FIR alleging that she had been raped between January 19 and December 12, 2018, by one of the accused on the pretext that he would marry her. The accused was arrested then and got out on bail on November 25, police said. The other accused had been on the run.
