86 tonnes of gold just flew out of US vaults: Is Europe preparing for war?

‘Difficult situation’: What Putin told Trump envoys behind closed doors

US Navy takes out 3 Iranian tankers; here's how Tehran warns of retaliation

Trump features on $1 coin: The legal 'glitch' that puts him on US money

'Naraz Fufa' jibe to Jhooth ki goonj swipe: Top quotes from PM speech at SRCC

World first: Pig kidney saves man facing 7-year dialysis death sentence

US faces growing isolation as 164 countries back new world map at UN

BRICS 2026: What India wants from China, Russia and the expanded bloc

<b>Zeenews Bureau</b>



New Delhi: The male friend of the Delhi gang-rape victim - the only witness in the case - on Friday spoke for the first time in front of the nation and exclusively told Zee News that his friend was “positive” and wanted to live even after the horrific incident that took place on the night of December 16.



"I wish I could have saved her," the friend exclusively told Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary.



The victim’s friend explained to Zee News in detail what exactly happened on that fateful night of December 16. 



He said that no one came to their help when they were lying on the road. After being thrown off the bus, the duo reached hospital after two to two-and-a-half hours.



The victim’s friend said that since December 16, protests have been happening and people are on the streets. “Many things have come out in the media, but people have been interpreting it as per their convenience. I want to tell them what we faced that night. I want to tell what I faced, what my friend faced,” he told Zee News, expressing hope that people could take a lesson and save others’ lives in future.



He said that the six accused had lured them into boarding the bus on the night of December 16.



“The occupants of the bus, which had tinted windows and curtains, had laid a trap for us. They were probably involved in crimes before also. They beat us up, hit us with an iron rod, snatched our clothes and belongings and threw us off the bus on a deserted stretch.



“The bus occupants had everything planned. Apart from the driver and the helper, others behaved like they were passengers. We even paid Rs 20 as fare. They then started teasing my friend and it led to a brawl. I beat three of them up but then the rest of them brought an iron rod and hit me. Before I fell unconscious, they took my friend away. 



“From where we boarded the bus, they moved around for nearly two and a half hours. We were shouting, trying to make people hear us. But they switched off the lights of the bus. We tried to resist them. Even my friend fought with them, she tried to save me. She tried to dial the police control room number 100, but the accused snatched her mobile away,” he said.



“Before throwing us off the bus, they snatched our mobiles and tore off our clothes in order to destroy any evidence of the crime,” he added.



“After throwing us off the bus, they tried to mow us down but I saved my friend by pulling her away in the nick of time. We were without clothes. We tried to stop passersby. Several auto rickshaws, cars and bikes slowed down but none stopped for about 20 to 25 minutes. Then, someone on patrolling, stopped and called the police,” he told Zee News.

The victim’s friend rued the fact that three PCR vans arrived at the scene after about 30 to 45 minutes, but wasted time in deciding under which police station’s jurisdiction the case fell.



He said nobody, including the police, gave them clothes or called an ambulance. “They were just watching us,” he said, adding that after repeated requests, someone gave him a part of a bed sheet to cover his friend.



“My friend was bleeding profusely; I was more concerned about her. But instead of taking us to a nearby hospital, they (police) took us to a hospital (Safdarjung) that was far away.”



The victim’s friend said that he carried his badly injured friend to the PCR van on his own as “the policemen didn’t help us because my friend was bleeding profusely and they were probably worried about their clothes”. 



“Nobody from the public helped us. People were probably afraid that if they helped us, they would become witnesses to the crime and would be asked to come to the police station and court,” he told the channel.



“Even at the hospital, we were made to wait and I had to literally beg for clothes. I asked one ‘safai karamchari’ to give me some clothes or curtains and he asked me to wait. But the clothes never came. I then borrowed a stranger’s mobile and called my relatives, but just told them that I had met with an accident. My treatment started only after my relatives came,” he said.



“I was hit on the head. I was not able to walk. I was not able to move my hands for two weeks,” he said, detailing the injuries he suffered on that horrific night.



“My family wanted to take me to our native place but I decided to stay in Delhi in order to help the police. It was only after the doctors’ advice that I went back to my home and started private treatment there.”



“When I had met my friend in the hospital, she was smiling. She was able to write and was positive. I never felt that she did not want to live,” he said.



“She had told me that if I wasn’t there, she would not have filed the complaint. I had decided that I would ensure the culprits are punished,” the victim’s friend said.



He said that his friend was also worried about the cost of the treatment. “I was asked to be with her to give her strength.”



“When she gave the first statement to the lady SDM, only then I came to know what had happened with her. I couldn’t believe what they did to her. Even when animals hunt, they don’t mete out such brutality to their prey.



“She faced all of this and told the magistrate that the accused should not be hanged but burnt to death.”



“The first statement she gave to the SDM was correct. She had given that statement with a lot of effort. She was coughing and bleeding while giving the statement. She was on ventilator support. There was no pressure or interference at all. But when the SDM said that she had faced pressure, all her (friend’s) efforts went in vain. It is wrong to say that the statement was made under pressure,” the victim’s friend told Zee News.



When asked what suggestions he would like to give in order to ensure that such incidents don’t recur, the victim’s friend said, “The police should always try to ensure that the victims are taken to the hospital as early as possible and not waste precious time looking for government hospitals. Also, witnesses should not be harassed so that they come to the court to testify.”

He said that one cannot change mindsets by lighting candles. "You have to help people on the road when they need help,” he added.



“Protest and change should not only be for her but for the coming generations as well.”



The victim’s friend said that he wanted the Justice Verma committee - set up by the government to suggest measures to improve women’s security - to make the law easier for complainants.



“I would like to tell Justice JS Verma, Justice Leila Seth and Gopal Subramanium that we have a lot of laws, but the public is afraid of going to police as they wonder whether the police will register an FIR or not. You are trying to start fast-track courts for one issue, but why shouldn’t every case be fast tracked,” he said.



He further said that “only he can tell what he has gone through… what I have faced…”



He disclosed that “no one from the government has contacted me so far to ask about my treatment. I have been paying for my own treatment so far.”



When asked why people don’t want to talk about such issues in public, the victim’s friend said, “In our society, we try to hide such things. If something bad has happened with us, then we try to hide thinking what will the other person say. Also because our friends and relatives talk behind our back about such incidents, that we try to prevent them from becoming public.”



“If I had decided not to file the complaint and just call the incident an accident, this case would not have become this big.”



He rued the people’s indifference towards him and his friend when they were lying on the road. “They (the people) had cars, they could have taken us to the hospital. Every minute was important for us. But they didn’t. Who will change this attitude?” he asked.



He said his mental condition was so bad after the incident that he was not able to sleep properly. “I didn’t share this with anyone. When such a thing happens to us, we often ask ourselves: ‘Am I to blame for this? Why did I go to the mall? Why did I board that bus?’ I was not able to even speak properly for two weeks.”



He said that if his friend was “treated in a better hospital, she would have probably been alive today.” It may be noted that the gang-rape victim was first treated at the Safdarjung Hospital before being shifted to a hospital in Singapore, where she passed away.



He went on to say that one of the police officials wanted him to say that the police were doing a good job in the case.



“Why did they want to take credit for doing their duty? If everyone does their work well, nothing more needs to be said in the matter,” he said.



"We have a long battle to fight," he said further, adding, “If I didn`t have lawyers in my family, I would not have been able to fight this.”



The victim’s friend also told Zee News, "I was in the police station for four days rather than being in a hospital where I would be treated. I told my friends that I had met with an accident."



"The internal judgement of the Delhi Police should prompt them to assess for themselves if they have done a good job or not," he added.



"If you can help someone, help them. If a single person had helped me that night, things would have been different. There is no need to close Metro stations and stop the public from expressing themselves. People should be allowed to have faith in the system," he went on to say.



"I never had thoughts of leaving her and running away. Even an animal would not do that. I have no regrets. But I wish I could have done something to help her."



“She has awakened us. If we can carry on this fight with her name, it would be tribute to her,” he said.

Zeenews Bureau



New Delhi: The male friend of the Delhi gang-rape victim - the only witness in the case - on Friday spoke for the first time in front of the nation and exclusively told Zee News that his friend was “positive” and wanted to live even after the horrific incident that took place on the night of December 16.



"I wish I could have saved her," the friend exclusively told Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary.



The victim’s friend explained to Zee News in detail what exactly happened on that fateful night of December 16. 



He said that no one came to their help when they were lying on the road. After being thrown off the bus, the duo reached hospital after two to two-and-a-half hours.



The victim’s friend said that since December 16, protests have been happening and people are on the streets. “Many things have come out in the media, but people have been interpreting it as per their convenience. I want to tell them what we faced that night. I want to tell what I faced, what my friend faced,” he told Zee News, expressing hope that people could take a lesson and save others’ lives in future.



He said that the six accused had lured them into boarding the bus on the night of December 16.



“The occupants of the bus, which had tinted windows and curtains, had laid a trap for us. They were probably involved in crimes before also. They beat us up, hit us with an iron rod, snatched our clothes and belongings and threw us off the bus on a deserted stretch.



“The bus occupants had everything planned. Apart from the driver and the helper, others behaved like they were passengers. We even paid Rs 20 as fare. They then started teasing my friend and it led to a brawl. I beat three of them up but then the rest of them brought an iron rod and hit me. Before I fell unconscious, they took my friend away. 



“From where we boarded the bus, they moved around for nearly two and a half hours. We were shouting, trying to make people hear us. But they switched off the lights of the bus. We tried to resist them. Even my friend fought with them, she tried to save me. She tried to dial the police control room number 100, but the accused snatched her mobile away,” he said.



“Before throwing us off the bus, they snatched our mobiles and tore off our clothes in order to destroy any evidence of the crime,” he added.



“After throwing us off the bus, they tried to mow us down but I saved my friend by pulling her away in the nick of time. We were without clothes. We tried to stop passersby. Several auto rickshaws, cars and bikes slowed down but none stopped for about 20 to 25 minutes. Then, someone on patrolling, stopped and called the police,” he told Zee News.

The victim’s friend rued the fact that three PCR vans arrived at the scene after about 30 to 45 minutes, but wasted time in deciding under which police station’s jurisdiction the case fell.



He said nobody, including the police, gave them clothes or called an ambulance. “They were just watching us,” he said, adding that after repeated requests, someone gave him a part of a bed sheet to cover his friend.



“My friend was bleeding profusely; I was more concerned about her. But instead of taking us to a nearby hospital, they (police) took us to a hospital (Safdarjung) that was far away.”



The victim’s friend said that he carried his badly injured friend to the PCR van on his own as “the policemen didn’t help us because my friend was bleeding profusely and they were probably worried about their clothes”. 



“Nobody from the public helped us. People were probably afraid that if they helped us, they would become witnesses to the crime and would be asked to come to the police station and court,” he told the channel.



“Even at the hospital, we were made to wait and I had to literally beg for clothes. I asked one ‘safai karamchari’ to give me some clothes or curtains and he asked me to wait. But the clothes never came. I then borrowed a stranger’s mobile and called my relatives, but just told them that I had met with an accident. My treatment started only after my relatives came,” he said.



“I was hit on the head. I was not able to walk. I was not able to move my hands for two weeks,” he said, detailing the injuries he suffered on that horrific night.



“My family wanted to take me to our native place but I decided to stay in Delhi in order to help the police. It was only after the doctors’ advice that I went back to my home and started private treatment there.”



“When I had met my friend in the hospital, she was smiling. She was able to write and was positive. I never felt that she did not want to live,” he said.



“She had told me that if I wasn’t there, she would not have filed the complaint. I had decided that I would ensure the culprits are punished,” the victim’s friend said.



He said that his friend was also worried about the cost of the treatment. “I was asked to be with her to give her strength.”



“When she gave the first statement to the lady SDM, only then I came to know what had happened with her. I couldn’t believe what they did to her. Even when animals hunt, they don’t mete out such brutality to their prey.



“She faced all of this and told the magistrate that the accused should not be hanged but burnt to death.”



“The first statement she gave to the SDM was correct. She had given that statement with a lot of effort. She was coughing and bleeding while giving the statement. She was on ventilator support. There was no pressure or interference at all. But when the SDM said that she had faced pressure, all her (friend’s) efforts went in vain. It is wrong to say that the statement was made under pressure,” the victim’s friend told Zee News.



When asked what suggestions he would like to give in order to ensure that such incidents don’t recur, the victim’s friend said, “The police should always try to ensure that the victims are taken to the hospital as early as possible and not waste precious time looking for government hospitals. Also, witnesses should not be harassed so that they come to the court to testify.”

He said that one cannot change mindsets by lighting candles. "You have to help people on the road when they need help,” he added.



“Protest and change should not only be for her but for the coming generations as well.”



The victim’s friend said that he wanted the Justice Verma committee - set up by the government to suggest measures to improve women’s security - to make the law easier for complainants.



“I would like to tell Justice JS Verma, Justice Leila Seth and Gopal Subramanium that we have a lot of laws, but the public is afraid of going to police as they wonder whether the police will register an FIR or not. You are trying to start fast-track courts for one issue, but why shouldn’t every case be fast tracked,” he said.



He further said that “only he can tell what he has gone through… what I have faced…”



He disclosed that “no one from the government has contacted me so far to ask about my treatment. I have been paying for my own treatment so far.”



When asked why people don’t want to talk about such issues in public, the victim’s friend said, “In our society, we try to hide such things. If something bad has happened with us, then we try to hide thinking what will the other person say. Also because our friends and relatives talk behind our back about such incidents, that we try to prevent them from becoming public.”



“If I had decided not to file the complaint and just call the incident an accident, this case would not have become this big.”



He rued the people’s indifference towards him and his friend when they were lying on the road. “They (the people) had cars, they could have taken us to the hospital. Every minute was important for us. But they didn’t. Who will change this attitude?” he asked.



He said his mental condition was so bad after the incident that he was not able to sleep properly. “I didn’t share this with anyone. When such a thing happens to us, we often ask ourselves: ‘Am I to blame for this? Why did I go to the mall? Why did I board that bus?’ I was not able to even speak properly for two weeks.”



He said that if his friend was “treated in a better hospital, she would have probably been alive today.” It may be noted that the gang-rape victim was first treated at the Safdarjung Hospital before being shifted to a hospital in Singapore, where she passed away.



He went on to say that one of the police officials wanted him to say that the police were doing a good job in the case.



“Why did they want to take credit for doing their duty? If everyone does their work well, nothing more needs to be said in the matter,” he said.



"We have a long battle to fight," he said further, adding, “If I didn`t have lawyers in my family, I would not have been able to fight this.”



The victim’s friend also told Zee News, "I was in the police station for four days rather than being in a hospital where I would be treated. I told my friends that I had met with an accident."



"The internal judgement of the Delhi Police should prompt them to assess for themselves if they have done a good job or not," he added.



"If you can help someone, help them. If a single person had helped me that night, things would have been different. There is no need to close Metro stations and stop the public from expressing themselves. People should be allowed to have faith in the system," he went on to say.



"I never had thoughts of leaving her and running away. Even an animal would not do that. I have no regrets. But I wish I could have done something to help her."



“She has awakened us. If we can carry on this fight with her name, it would be tribute to her,” he said.

The male friend of the Delhi gang-rape victim - the only witness in the case - on Friday spoke for the first time in front of the nation.

Delhi gang-rape: Six accused laid a trap for us, says braveheart’s friend

Cauvery issue: SC asks CMC to decide water needed by TN, Karnataka

Congress slams RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat`s remarks

Visa to Miandad doesn`t change Dawood Ibrahim`s status for India: Govt

Delhi gang-rape: Congress for re-evaluation of Juvenile Act

LS Speaker cancels Parliamentary delegation visits to S Africa, Namibia

Quote of the day by Salman Khan, 'Have you seen a duck...'

Horoscope today, September 6: Scorpio, avoid unnecessary complications

Horoscope today, September 6, 2026, by Astrologer Sundeep Kochar: Scorpio, avoid unnecessary complications

US Navy takes out 3 Iranian tankers – here’s how Tehran is threatening to retaliate

Latest

First-ever International Film Festival marks return to Bollywood’s favourite paradise Kashmir&nbsp;

First-ever International Film Festival marks return to Bollywood’s paradise

First-ever International Film Festival marks return to Bollywood’s favourite paradise Kashmir

From 'Naraz Fufa' jibe to 'Jhooth ki goonj' swipe: Top quotes from PM Modi's speech at SRCC

PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, takes Delhi Metro ride to reach centenary celebrations&nbsp;

PM returns to SRCC after 13 yrs, takes Metro to reach centenary celebrations 

PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, takes Delhi Metro ride to reach centenary celebrations 

BRICS Summit 2026: Delhi Police issues traffic advisory for Sunday rehearsal&nbsp;

BRICS Summit 2026: Delhi Police issues traffic advisory for Sunday rehearsal

Major success for security forces in Kashmir: 3rd terrorist of notorious 4-member LeT module eliminated&nbsp;

Third terrorist of notorious 4-member LeT module eliminated

Major success for security forces in Kashmir: 3rd terrorist of notorious 4-member LeT module eliminated

India

Satwik-Chirag storm into China Masters final after thrilling win

Satwik-Chirag storm into China Masters final after thrilling win over Malaysian pair

ISL 2026-27 to begin October 10, returns to home-away format under new model

US Open 2026: Yuki Bhambri eyes deep run, hails New York tennis&nbsp;

US Open 2026: Yuki Bhambri eyes deep run, hails New York tennis

US Open 2026: Yuki Bhambri eyes deep run with Michael Venus, says New York is 'Best place in the world to play tennis'

Carlos Alcaraz makes US Open comeback, reveals surprise after injury layoff&nbsp;

Carlos Alcaraz makes US Open comeback, reveals surprise after injury layoff

Carlos Alcaraz makes US Open comeback, reveals big surprise after four-month injury layoff

&nbsp;Satwik-Chirag storm into semifinals after thrilling win over Danish pair

 Satwik-Chirag storm into semifinals after thrilling win over Danish pair

China Masters 2026: Satwik-Chirag storm into semifinals after thrilling win over Danish pair

Cricket

Other Sports

Sports

‘Facing difficult situation’: What Putin told Trump envoys behind closed doors in Moscow

Trump features on $1 coin bypassing federal law? The legal 'glitch' that puts a living president on US money and caused an instant sellout

US faces growing isolation as 164 countries back new world map at UN&nbsp;

World

Bigg Boss launch: Salman, Mohanlal, Sethupathi unite for mega premiere

Bigg Boss mega premiere: Salman Khan, Mohanlal, Vijay Sethupathi and more to launch 5 seasons simultaneously

Bigg Boss 20 grand premiere: How much is host Salman Khan charging?

Bigg Boss 20 grand premiere: How much is host Salman Khan charging for new season?

Bigg Boss 20 reported contestants: Shocking expected entrants and more details&nbsp;

Bigg Boss 20 reported contestants: Shocking expected entrants and more details

Bigg Boss 20 reported contestants: From Mahhi Vijj to Mary Kom, shocking expected entrants

Bigg Boss 20 house first look revealed - Check Inside details

Bigg Boss 20 house first look revealed: From shark pool design to secret room 20 mystery - Inside details unveiled

Bigg Boss 20 premiere: When and where to watch Salman Khan's show?&nbsp;

Bigg Boss 20 premiere: When and where to watch Salman Khan's show?

Bigg Boss 20 premiere: When and where to watch Salman Khan's much-anticipated show?

People

Regional

Television

Bollywood

Hollywood

Entertainment

Check gold rates across Indian cities&nbsp;

Check gold rates across Indian cities

Gold rates dip: Check prices across India on September 5

Special Campaign 3: 72% pension grievances resolved&nbsp;

Special Campaign 3: 72% pension grievances resolved

72% of long-pending pension grievances resolved under Special Campaign 3

Global sugar prices jump 11.9% on supply concerns&nbsp;

Global sugar prices jump 11.9% on supply concerns

Global sugar prices surge 11.9%: Adverse weather, lower Brazil production, India's duty-free import drive rise

BRICS: $1 trillion sovereign capital summit to be held in Delhi&nbsp;

BRICS: $1 trillion sovereign capital summit to be held in Delhi

India’s BRICS Chairship brings $1 trillion sovereign capital summit to Delhi

RBI moves to absorb Rs 7 lakh crore surplus liquidity&nbsp;

RBI moves to absorb Rs 7 lakh crore surplus liquidity

RBI to absorb Rs 7 lakh crore surplus liquidity through 30-day auction

Personal Finance

Economy

Bullion

Real Estate

Business

Miss World 2026: India out of crown race as Nikita Porwal exits in top 40

Bigg Boss 20 speculation: Isha Rikhi reacts to rumours surrounding her marriage and separation from Badshah

Badshah's ex wife Isha Rikhi reacts to rumours surrounding her marriage

Miss World 2026: When and where to watch the grand finale LIVE in India?&nbsp;

Miss World 2026: When and where to watch the grand finale LIVE in India?

Miss World 2026 Finale: Nikita Porwal set to represent India in Vietnam today

Culture

Lifestyle

Peptides are having a moment: Are they safe for weight loss &amp; anti-ageing?

Peptides are having a moment: Are they safe for weight loss & anti-ageing?

Peptides are having a moment: Are they really safe for weight loss and anti-ageing?

Pimples or fungal acne? Skincare tips to tackle breakouts in humid weather

Pimples or fungal acne? Expert-approved skincare tips to tackle breakouts in humid weather

Zomato bans analogue paneer: What it is, how to spot it, and health impacts

How much protein do you really need? Here's what experts want you to know&nbsp;

How much protein do you really need? Here's what experts want you to know

Health

Meta puts guardrails in place for AI glasses after privacy concerns raises

WhatsApp launches bill payments in India via Bharat Connect network

Apple's new CEO John Ternus to get approx. Rs 551 crore salary in FY27: Reports

Apple's new CEO John Ternus to get approx. Rs 551 crore salary in FY27: Report

Tim Cook era ends as John Ternus takes over as Apple CEO

15 years of Tim Cook: How Apple grew into a $4 trillion giant

Tech

Govt tightens e-bus, e-truck localisation norms - Details

Govt tightens e-bus, e-truck localisation norms, sets April 2027 deadline for key components

Skoda's Octavia RS is back, and it's Rs 6.70 lakh pricier than before

Kia unveils Syros flex-fuel concept in India; Can run on pure ethanol

Kia Sorento launched in India at Rs 27.99 lakh - Features, specs and more

Creta's cheaper alternative got caught on camera; Here's what we know so far

Hyundai Creta's cheaper alternative got caught on camera; Here's what we know so far

Auto

Air India pilot fails substance test; AAIB calls for DGCA action

Air India Phuket-Delhi incident: AAIB recommends DGCA action after pilot's positive substance test

Indian Railways approves Rs 170 crore for Kavach 4.0

New Service PPI framework: Air passenger service prices surge 31.94% in Q1 FY27

New Service PPI framework: Air passenger service prices surge 31.94% in Q1

Air passenger service prices surge 31.94% in Q1 FY27 under new Service PPI framework

Minister Ram Mohan Naidu rejects claim of ethanol blending in aviation fuel

Cabinet okays Rs 8970 crore Guwahati-Tezpur 4-lane highway project

Mobility

Inside the devastating drone footage of Nepal's flooded heartland | VIDEO&nbsp;

Inside the devastating drone footage of Nepal's flooded heartland | VIDEO

Buried beneath the silt: Inside the devastating drone footage of Nepal's flooded heartland | VIDEO

After 200 years, Maharashtra family welcomes daughter with chariot procession

After 200 years, Maharashtra family welcomes first daughter with chariot procession

How a 47-year-old mother sprang to victory to fund her daughters' education&nbsp;

How a 47-year-old mother sprang to victory to fund her daughters' education

Running barefoot in a saree: How a 47-year-old mother sprang to victory to fund her daughters' education | VIDEO

WATCH: Driverless test car ploughed straight into a police van in Islamabad&nbsp;

WATCH: Driverless test car ploughed straight into a police van in Islamabad

'Pakistan me talent ki koi kami nahi hai': Driverless test car ploughed straight into a police van in Islamabad | VIRAL VIDEO

Why Putin abruptly halted his VVIP convoy to confront a passerby | VIRAL VIDEO&nbsp;&nbsp;

Why Putin abruptly halted his VVIP convoy to confront a passerby | VIRAL VIDEO

Out of the security bubble: Why Vladimir Putin abruptly halted his VVIP convoy to confront a passerby | VIRAL VIDEO

Viral

UGC NET June 2026 re-exam admit card out; Check important details here

UGC NET June 2026 re-exam admit card out: Check how to download hall ticket and key details here

Teacher's day 2026: 10 great teachers who changed world -&nbsp;Check complete list

Teacher's day 2026: 10 great teachers who changed world - Check complete list

Lifeline for 62,000 UP teachers: Yogi govt notifies special exam to save jobs

Education minister&nbsp;reviews upcoming NTA exams, school education reforms

Education minister reviews upcoming NTA exams, school education reforms

Education minister, Pralhad Joshi reviews upcoming NTA exams, school education reforms

'We are students' A team': CJP's Abhijeet Dipke hits back at 'B team' charges

Education

Zeenews BureauNew Delhi: The male friend of the Delhi gang-rape victim - the only witness in the case - on Friday spoke for the first time in front of the nation and exclusively told Zee News that his friend was “positive” and wanted to live even after the horrific incident that took place on the night of December 16.I wish I could have saved her, the friend exclusively told Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary.The victim’s friend explained to Zee News in detail what exactly happened on that fateful night of December 16. He said that no one came to their help when they were lying on the road. After being thrown off the bus, the duo reached hospital after two to two-and-a-half hours.The victim’s friend said that since December 16, protests have been happening and people are on the streets. “Many things have come out in the media, but people have been interpreting it as per their convenience. I want to tell them what we faced that night. I want to tell what I faced, what my friend faced,” he told Zee News, expressing hope that people could take a lesson and save others’ lives in future.He said that the six accused had lured them into boarding the bus on the night of December 16.“The occupants of the bus, which had tinted windows and curtains, had laid a trap for us. They were probably involved in crimes before also. They beat us up, hit us with an iron rod, snatched our clothes and belongings and threw us off the bus on a deserted stretch.“The bus occupants had everything planned. Apart from the driver and the helper, others behaved like they were passengers. We even paid Rs 20 as fare. They then started teasing my friend and it led to a brawl. I beat three of them up but then the rest of them brought an iron rod and hit me. Before I fell unconscious, they took my friend away. “From where we boarded the bus, they moved around for nearly two and a half hours. We were shouting, trying to make people hear us. But they switched off the lights of the bus. We tried to resist them. Even my friend fought with them, she tried to save me. She tried to dial the police control room number 100, but the accused snatched her mobile away,” he said.“Before throwing us off the bus, they snatched our mobiles and tore off our clothes in order to destroy any evidence of the crime,” he added.“After throwing us off the bus, they tried to mow us down but I saved my friend by pulling her away in the nick of time. We were without clothes. We tried to stop passersby. Several auto rickshaws, cars and bikes slowed down but none stopped for about 20 to 25 minutes. Then, someone on patrolling, stopped and called the police,” he told Zee News.The victim’s friend rued the fact that three PCR vans arrived at the scene after about 30 to 45 minutes, but wasted time in deciding under which police station’s jurisdiction the case fell.He said nobody, including the police, gave them clothes or called an ambulance. “They were just watching us,” he said, adding that after repeated requests, someone gave him a part of a bed sheet to cover his friend.“My friend was bleeding profusely; I was more concerned about her. But instead of taking us to a nearby hospital, they (police) took us to a hospital (Safdarjung) that was far away.”The victim’s friend said that he carried his badly injured friend to the PCR van on his own as “the policemen didn’t help us because my friend was bleeding profusely and they were probably worried about their clothes”. “Nobody from the public helped us. People were probably afraid that if they helped us, they would become witnesses to the crime and would be asked to come to the police station and court,” he told the channel.“Even at the hospital, we were made to wait and I had to literally beg for clothes. I asked one ‘safai karamchari’ to give me some clothes or curtains and he asked me to wait. But the clothes never came. I then borrowed a stranger’s mobile and called my relatives, but just told them that I had met with an accident. My treatment started only after my relatives came,” he said.“I was hit on the head. I was not able to walk. I was not able to move my hands for two weeks,” he said, detailing the injuries he suffered on that horrific night.“My family wanted to take me to our native place but I decided to stay in Delhi in order to help the police. It was only after the doctors’ advice that I went back to my home and started private treatment there.”“When I had met my friend in the hospital, she was smiling. She was able to write and was positive. I never felt that she did not want to live,” he said.“She had told me that if I wasn’t there, she would not have filed the complaint. I had decided that I would ensure the culprits are punished,” the victim’s friend said.He said that his friend was also worried about the cost of the treatment. “I was asked to be with her to give her strength.”“When she gave the first statement to the lady SDM, only then I came to know what had happened with her. I couldn’t believe what they did to her. Even when animals hunt, they don’t mete out such brutality to their prey.“She faced all of this and told the magistrate that the accused should not be hanged but burnt to death.”“The first statement she gave to the SDM was correct. She had given that statement with a lot of effort. She was coughing and bleeding while giving the statement. She was on ventilator support. There was no pressure or interference at all. But when the SDM said that she had faced pressure, all her (friend’s) efforts went in vain. It is wrong to say that the statement was made under pressure,” the victim’s friend told Zee News.When asked what suggestions he would like to give in order to ensure that such incidents don’t recur, the victim’s friend said, “The police should always try to ensure that the victims are taken to the hospital as early as possible and not waste precious time looking for government hospitals. Also, witnesses should not be harassed so that they come to the court to testify.”He said that one cannot change mindsets by lighting candles. You have to help people on the road when they need help,” he added.“Protest and change should not only be for her but for the coming generations as well.”The victim’s friend said that he wanted the Justice Verma committee - set up by the government to suggest measures to improve women’s security - to make the law easier for complainants.“I would like to tell Justice JS Verma, Justice Leila Seth and Gopal Subramanium that we have a lot of laws, but the public is afraid of going to police as they wonder whether the police will register an FIR or not. You are trying to start fast-track courts for one issue, but why shouldn’t every case be fast tracked,” he said.He further said that “only he can tell what he has gone through… what I have faced…”He disclosed that “no one from the government has contacted me so far to ask about my treatment. I have been paying for my own treatment so far.”When asked why people don’t want to talk about such issues in public, the victim’s friend said, “In our society, we try to hide such things. If something bad has happened with us, then we try to hide thinking what will the other person say. Also because our friends and relatives talk behind our back about such incidents, that we try to prevent them from becoming public.”“If I had decided not to file the complaint and just call the incident an accident, this case would not have become this big.”He rued the people’s indifference towards him and his friend when they were lying on the road. “They (the people) had cars, they could have taken us to the hospital. Every minute was important for us. But they didn’t. Who will change this attitude?” he asked.He said his mental condition was so bad after the incident that he was not able to sleep properly. “I didn’t share this with anyone. When such a thing happens to us, we often ask ourselves: ‘Am I to blame for this? Why did I go to the mall? Why did I board that bus?’ I was not able to even speak properly for two weeks.”He said that if his friend was “treated in a better hospital, she would have probably been alive today.” It may be noted that the gang-rape victim was first treated at the Safdarjung Hospital before being shifted to a hospital in Singapore, where she passed away.He went on to say that one of the police officials wanted him to say that the police were doing a good job in the case.“Why did they want to take credit for doing their duty? If everyone does their work well, nothing more needs to be said in the matter,” he said.We have a long battle to fight, he said further, adding, “If I didn`t have lawyers in my family, I would not have been able to fight this.”The victim’s friend also told Zee News, I was in the police station for four days rather than being in a hospital where I would be treated. I told my friends that I had met with an accident.The internal judgement of the Delhi Police should prompt them to assess for themselves if they have done a good job or not, he added.If you can help someone, help them. If a single person had helped me that night, things would have been different. There is no need to close Metro stations and stop the public from expressing themselves. People should be allowed to have faith in the system, he went on to say.I never had thoughts of leaving her and running away. Even an animal would not do that. I have no regrets. But I wish I could have done something to help her.“She has awakened us. If we can carry on this fight with her name, it would be tribute to her,” he said.

Zee News

Home

Live TV

Photos

Live Blog

Trending News

Trending Photos

Weekly Love Horoscope for September 07 - 13, 2026: Avoid impulsive reactions and communicate with patience, zodiacs

Weekly Health Horoscope for September 07 - 13, 2026: Follow a healthy daily routine, zodiacs

Numerology Horoscope Prediction Today, September 5, 2026: Boundaries remain important

Horoscope today, September 5, 2026, by Astrologer Sundeep Kochar: Leo, pair your fierce drive with a humble spirit

DNA: Student movement in Jharkhand since last 10 days, Abhijeet Deepke will be shocked to see how it reached! I Ranchi Protest

DNA: Anti-Sanatan drama... SP offended now? | MP Pappu Yadav | Parliament complex drama

DNA: Revelation on donation theft in Siddhi Vinayak Temple. Siddhi Vinayak Temple | mumbai

DNA: From Borders to Oceans... Doval on Global Mission | BIMSTEC | National Security Advisor | Doval | Zee

DNA: Will Congress be left alone on delimitation? | Delimitation Bill | Congress | Zee News