New Delhi: The gang-rape victim`s male friend, who had been assaulted by the rapists Dec 16, did not attend the funeral of the woman and left Saturday night for his hometown in Uttar Pradesh, police sources said Sunday.
"The man and his family did not attend the cremation, the reason for that is not known," a police source told a news agency.
"They left last night by Lucknow Mail," the police source said.
The young man and his family, who were in Delhi till Saturday evening, had told a news agency that they would be attending the funeral.
Police called his family members early Sunday for the funeral, but no one turned up, said the source.
"They gave no reason for not attending the funeral," said the police source.
The victim was cremated secretly in the capital`s Dwarka area at 7:30 am Sunday.
According to a family source of the dead woman, her male friend had visited their home near Dwarka a few times and was acquainted with her two brothers and mother. The source discounted media reports of any impending marriage between them.
The 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist and her male friend were assaulted by six men on board a moving bus Dec 16. The woman was gang-raped and brutally attacked, leading to grievous injuries and to her death early Saturday morning.
The six men then raped, robbed and stripped the woman and also stripped and assaulted the young man and dumped them by the wayside. The six have been arrested and now face murder charges.
The young man has identified the rapists during the test identification parade held by police.
IANS
