A rape survivor, who was assaulted and set ablaze by five men on Thursday, died of cardiac arrest late on Friday at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.
The victim who had more than 90 per cent burn injuries lost the battle after 43 hours of being attacked.
Dr Sunil Gupta, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital told news agency ANI that Unnao rape victim’s post-mortem will take place on Saturday under the leadership of Dr MK Wahi, Head of Department of Forensic unit.
However, the Uttar Pradesh Police and the Delhi Police, who are completing their paperwork, will not be part of the forensic procedure, he added.
The woman, who had survived a brutal gangrape earlier in March, was on Thursday assaulted and set ablaze by five men accused in the case in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district when she was on her way to a local court for a hearing on the matter.
The men took her outside her village and into the fields and doused her in petrol before setting her on fire.
After being informed by the locals of the gruesome incident, Police rushed to the spot and the woman was admitted to a nearby government hospital.
The 20-year-old victim ran for a kilometre with 90 per cent burns, in intense pain, crying for help and assistance. She was on the way to the Rae Bareli court when she was attacked and set on fire. As per reports, after the incident with burn injuries, she took a bystander’s mobile phone and called the emergency help number and police herself.
As her condition worsened, the Unnao rape victim was airlifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Thursday evening.
In her statement to the police, reported by Hindustan Times, the rape survivor had said the five men first hit her on the head and attacked with a knife on the neck. Then they poured kerosene and set her on fire.
A complaint was lodged on March 4 by the rape victim but it is alleged that the police did not take action on it. Then an FIR was filed in the neighbouring Rae Bareli district reportedly after the intervention of a local court.
According to reports, one of the accused was later arrested by the UP Police but he had managed to get bail.
Meanwhile, the five accused in the Unnao rape case were taken to jail from court on Friday night after being remanded to 14-day judicial custody.