London: A group of 50 NRIs held a candle light vigil in Central London today, demanding severe punishment for the six men allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl who died in a Singapore hospital.
NRIs, including teachers and housewives, gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi Statue, Tavistock Square and raised slogans and held placards demanding an end to assault and rape cases in India.
"Band Karo Atyachar, save our sisters," one of the placards read.
The protest was organised by Pravasi Bharat, a London-based humanitarian organisation working for the welfare and basic rights of Indians living abroad.
"We as the concerned citizens of India deeply saddened by hearing the news of the 23-year-old medical student who was brutally gang-raped and assaulted in Delhi recently. We are extremely sorry that she died in Singapore today."
From the Tavistock Square, they marched to the Indian High Commmission in Adwych and submitted a memorandum, urging the Government ot India to introduce strict punishments for rapists and introduce time-bound investigations and Fast Track courts to deal with sexual assault cases.
Councillor Sunil Chopra, General Secretary of the Indian
Overseas Congress (London), UK said the death of a gang rape victim "is a shame not only for Delhi but for the whole of India."
"Justice should be done. Culprit should be hanged to death or imprisoned for life so that no one can dare to do these sort of things again. Her death should not be wasted and we should learn a lesson from this tragedy. New law should be brought and implemented in a stricter manner.
"Police, Government departments, Social NGOs all should work together to find out why rape crime is on increase. We should also study why this is happening more in our society," he said.
Chopra said, "These sort of issues seriously damage the image of the community living abroad. We all strongly condemn this sort of action. Expect and demand stiffer urgent action from the Government against the culprits."
PTI
