Delhi gang-rape victim`s death - As it happened

The 23-year-old girl had put up a brave battle for life after she was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in a Delhi bus on December 16.

Zeenews Bureau Singapore: The 23-year-old girl, who put up a brave battle for life after she was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in a Delhi bus on December 16 that had created a nationwide outrage, died on Saturday morning in a hospital here. The girl, who was admitted to the well-known multi-organ transplant facility Mount Elizabeth Hospital here on Thursday morning in an extremely critical condition, breathed her last at 4:45 am (2:15 am India time). She was earlier treated at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. As it happened:

The chartered Air India plane AIC-380A ferrying the body took off around 12:30 AM local time (10:00 PM IST), Indian High Commission officials said.

There has been a delay in the special aircraft of national carrier Air India taking off from Singapore, which is bringing back the body of the 23-year-old woman who was gang raped on the night of December 16 on a running bus. Television channels are now reporting that the plane will leave Singapore at 9.30 pm IST, and is expected to arrive in India in the early hours of Sunday. It is not known as yet where the special aircraft will land.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar condoled the demise of Delhi gang-rape victim and said that the whole nation is proud of her as she has become a symbol of protest against sexual assault on women in the country.

Breaking his silence on the gang-rape case which has shook the nation, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said that his heart goes out to the family of the young girl and millions of young Indians, families who work, hope and pray for a better India. “We as a nation must reflect on the events of the days gone by”.

The Delhi gang-rape victim is an inspiration for all women, said a young woman who was sexually assaulted in Kolkata`s Park Street.

People began to queue up on Saturday outside the Indian High Commission in Singapore following the death of Delhi gang-rape victim. Some just huddled for silent comfort and others to sign a condolence book that had not yet been opened, the report added.

The Delhi "braveheart" came from a humble family originally from Uttar Pradesh and took tuitions to pay for her school and college fees.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde cancels all his formal engagements in Maharashtra and will return to Delhi by evening.

The Delhi Police invoked murder charges against the six men allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl and decided to file the chargesheet in court on January 03.

A special aircraft of national carrier Air India will bring back the body of the 23-year-old gang-rape. The chartered plane, an Airbus A-319, left the IGI Airport at 0800 hours for Singapore and expected to return around 2000 hours tonight after taking off from there around 1700 hours local time, Air India officials said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for amending criminal laws to ensure stringent punishment for rape in the wake of the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim.

Delhi gang-rape accused, Akshay Singh alias Thakur, who was the last one to be arrested in the case, was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma after expiry of his day-long police custody. "He (Akshay) is remanded to judicial custody. Let he be produced on January 09," the court said after the police did not seek his further custody.

Delhi gang-rape accused reportedly shifted to high-security cells in Tihar Jail.

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tweets: “Today on Nirbhaya`s death, let every man promise the departed soul that such heinous crimes will never be allowed to be repeated.”

Angry crowd at Jantar Mantar pushed Delhi Chief Minster Sheila Dikshit to go back. Young men and women were furious when they saw Dikshit approach the gathering. A shaken Delhi CM quickly lit a candle under a tree, bowed her head and quickly left.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi says her heart goes out to Delhi gang-rape victim and her family, adding that fit and strong punishment will be given to the accused. “Today all Indians grieve as though they had lost their own beloved daughter or sister,” she added. Appealing to people to stay calm, Gandhi told the protesters that their voice would be heard.

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dharmendra Kumar said that chargesheet in the Delhi gang-rape case would be hopefully filed by January 03. Section 302 of the IPC has been added, Kumar said while appealing to people to maintain calm. He further noted that the autopsy of the gang-rape victim is being conducted by a Singapore medical team.

Students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University gathered in silence at the Munirka bus stop in south Delhi from where the gang-rape victim was picked up on the night of December 16.

Security has been beefed up at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s residence on 7, Race Course Road.

Post-mortem of Delhi gang-rape victim was done at Singapore General Hospital, where she was taken after she breathed her last at 2.15 am IST at the country’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital. A special chartered flight has flown to Singapore from Delhi at around 8 am to bring the deceased`s body and her family back to the country.

The culprits should be hanged and we have to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future, says social crusader Anna Hazare.

Motorcycle riders from all walks of life came together to take part in a rally in Bangalore, Karnataka, on Saturday morning as a mark of their condolence to the deceased victim of the recent Delhi gang rape.

Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Mamta Sharma, described the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim as a ‘black day’ in the history of the country.

Protests also took place across Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

Silent march in Jawaharlal Nehru University. Protesters will walk till Munirka.

A special aircraft will bring back the body of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim from Singapore on Saturday evening, officials said.

The family of the male friend of the gang-rape victim demanded that the six rapists should be hanged "as soon as possible".

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has reportedly requested Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to allow protesters to go to India Gate to protest.

At Jantar Mantar, scores of people mourned in silence the death of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim and demanded stringent punishment for the culprits. Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas also joined the protest with their mouth tied with black cloth.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has reportedly requested Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to allow protesters to go to India Gate to protest.

Reacting to Delhi gang-rape victim`s death, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the entire country should hang its head in shame.

Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati says government needs to take measures by enacting strict laws to protect women, and guilty should get stricter punishments.

The distraught family of the young gang-rape victim hopes her death will contribute to making India a safer place for woman, Indian High Commissioner TCA Raghavan said.

Manish Tewari, the minister of Information and Broadcasting, has conveyed heartfelt condolences to the family of the braveheart. Appealing to “all our brothers and sisters across the length and breadth of this great land to maintain peace”, Tewari said that the "girl waged a relentless battle to live, unfortunately destiny had willed it otherwise...our hearts cry today”.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde defends the decision to airlift the girl, saying, “We sent her (to Singapore) on the recommendations of the doctors attending to her and Dr (Naresh) Trehan”.

Chargesheet against accused in Delhi gang-rape will be filed quickly, said Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Urging youngsters to maintain calm, Shinde also vowed to see to it that there is an early conviction in the case.

Delhi gang-rape victim’s body sent for autopsy to Singapore General Hospital.

On Twitter, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal invites all for a condolence meeting at Jantar Mantar at 11 am. “AAP members to sit on a silent protest by tying black cloth on their mouth at Jantar Mantar,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, tweeted: “Her death has shaken the conscience of the nation. We must wake up and make India safe for daughters”.

In a bid to avert chaos following the Delhi gang-rape victim’s death, Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said that Section 144 has been imposed in the New Delhi district. Protesters can carry out peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Maidan though, added Bhagat.

Union Minister of State for Home RPN Singh offered his condolences to the Delhi gang-rape victim’s family, saying that the government will be on its toes to frame stricter laws against such crimes.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoles death of Delhi gang-rape victim.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal tweeted this morning: “Aren`t we all responsible for her death? Can we all now do something so that half of humanity starts feeling safe amongst us?...Her death is a matter of shame and sorrow for all of us. Let`s resolve that we will not let her death go in vain”.

Reports say that JNU students will take out a silent march following Delhi gang-rape victim’s death.

Condoling the death of Delhi gang-rape victim, Minister for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath appeals for calm, saying mindset of society needs change.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said he was deeply saddened by the demise of the victim. “We tried our best to provide her the best possible health care...Government is committed to seek deterrent punishment for all the accused”.

President Pranab Mukherjee `deeply distressed by the unfortunate demise of the 23-year-old girl`.

Condoling the death of Delhi gang-rape victim, Minister for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath appeals for calm, saying mindset of society needs change.

The body of the Delhi gang-rape victim, who died this morning, will be flown to India by a special chartered aircraft this afternoon, announced Indian High Commissioner to Singapore TCA Raghavan.

Delhi Police will invoke murder charges against the six men allegedly involved in the gang-rape and brutal assault of the girl in a moving bus after she died in a Singapore hospital 13 days after treatment.

Reacting to the news of the death of the gang-rape victim, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said it was a shameful moment not just as the CM but also as a citizen of the country.

Ten Metro stations - Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Race Course, Khan Market and Jorbagh - will remain closed.

Fearing large-scale protests following the death of the gang-rape victim, Delhi Police announced that India Gate and its surrounding areas that comprise the capital`s power centre would be out of bounds for the general public.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim and expressed the hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests and agenda to make India a demonstrably safer place to live in.

The Singapore government condoled the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim, who breathed her last at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital this morning.

The 23-year-old girl, who was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in a Delhi bus a fortnight ago, died early this morning in a hospital in Singapore.