Unnao Rape Victim's Last Rites Today; Family Demands CM Adityanath's Presence

The family of the victim would opt for her burial instead of cremation. They also wish to set up a Samadhi for her beside her grandparent's memorial.

New Delhi: The last rites of the victim of the Unnao gang-rape incident who succumbed to severe burn injuries in Delhi hospital on Friday, after she was set ablaze by five men, will be held on Sunday at her village. The family would not cremate the body, and instead opted for burial. They will also make a memorial (Samadhi) for her. About timings of the last rites, Unnao District Magistrate Devendra Pandey was quoted as saying "It is yet to finalised. Senior officials, as well as two ministers, who were sent by the Chief Minister, would remain in the village till the final rites take place," by news agency PTI. “The family will not cremate the body, and instead it will opt for burial. Her memorial will be made beside the already existing memorials of her grandparents. The land on which the memorial will be built belongs to the victim's family,” he said. The family has demanded that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit them. They would not perform the last rites until the CM pays a visit. "We demand that Yogi sir should visit us and give an immediate decision," said the sister of the victim. The body of the victim arrived in her native village on Saturday. Brother of the victim along with other relatives reached the village with the body after 9.00 pm. There was an emotional outburst, as the family received the body in the presence of large number of people, including Samajwadi Party leaders. Heavy police arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident. Fire brigade personnel have also been deployed in the village, where senior officers were camping since morning. Earlier, UP ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Kamal Rani Varun met the victim's family. After battling for her life with more than 90 per cent burns for almost 40 hours, the 23-year-old woman died following a cardiac arrest on Friday night at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. The woman, who was raped last year, was set on fire early Thursday morning when she was on her way to Raebareli in connection with the court case filed by her. Five accused persons, including the two who had allegedly raped her, were arrested soon after.