The mortal remains of the Unnao rape victim, who succumbed to severe burn injuries in a Delhi hospital, arrived at her residence in the Uttar Pradesh village on Saturday night. The body reached amid heavy police arrangements to avoid any untoward incidents.
The 23-year-old woman, who was raped last year, was set ablaze on Thursday by five people, including two who are accused of raping her. She had suffered 90 per cent burns and was airlifted from Lucknow to the Delhi-based hospital where she died on Friday night.
A large number of people, including a few Samjwadi Party leaders, were present as the family received her body.
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Meanwhile, the Yogi Adityanath government, which is under fire over rising number of crimes against women in the state, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the family of the victim. The family will also be given a government house.
The state government has also decided to set up a fast-track court to hear the case.
"The chief minister is very much with the family of the deceased in this hour of crisis. The culprits will be dealt with sternly and punished. A fast track court will be set up with this view in mind," said senior minister Swami Prasad Maurya who visited the victim's family.
The victim was set on fire when she was on her way to Raebareli in connection with the court case filed by her.
Earlier Maurya, along with his colleague Kamal Rani Varun and local BJP MP Sakshi Maharas, faced intense protests from the villagers as they reached the victim's house.
A number of protesters including some local Congress leaders sustained injuries as police used force to disperse the crowd which gathered outside the residence of the victim and shouted 'Vaapas Jaao, Vapaas Jaao' (Go Back) and raised slogans against the state government and Sakshi Maharaj.
The Congress attacked the BJP government, alleging that law-and-order situation has "completely collapsed" in the state which is becoming the country's "rape capital".
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also demanded strict action against the accused in the case.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the international community was ridiculing the country and India was now known as the 'rape capital' of the world.
"We have a PM who believes in the ideology of hatred and violence. His entire political career is based on hatred and division and violence,” Rahul said in a direct attack on Narendra Modi.
BSP chief Mayawati urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the growing incidents of crime against women and direct the Centre to take prompt steps for effectively checking them.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government in the state, she said incidents of rape, murder and molestation are taking place all over the country, but in UP, such cases have been "excessive".
Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav sat on a dharna outside the Vidhan Bhavan in Lucknow, accusing the Yogi government of failing the gangrape victim. Terming the day a "Black Day", he demanded that the BJP government in the state be removed.
Earlier in the morning, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the death of Unnao victim "extremely sad" and conveyed his condolences to the aggrieved family.
"All the accused persons have been arrested. The case will be taken to a fast-track court, and punishment will be given," he said in a statement.
With inputs from PTI