Delhi gang-rape: Victim’s father wants death penalty for accused

ZEENEWS   UPDATE

New Delhi: As violent protests were witnessed across the national capital over the weekend, the 23-year-old gang-rape victim’s father appealed to people to maintain peace calm and pray for his daughter.

Expressing his anger towards the six accused who gang-raped and tortured his daughter, he said, “I want death penalty for all accused. If they remain alive they will continue to commit such a crime. If anything less punishment is given to them, I will not be satisfied.”

 

Speaking to a news channel Sunday night the grieved father said, “My daughter’s condition is stable and better now. Doctors have said she is responding to the treatment but will take time to fully recover.”

The distressed father appealed people to remain calm and not resort to violent ways while protesting. He also appealed to pray for his daughter’s health.

“My daughter has always fought against all odds since her childhood whether it was poverty or her studies and I hope she will continue to fight now also and overcome all difficulties.”

Doctors at the Safdarjung Hospital said today that the girl is stable but critical and is on ventilator electively. She underwent a "small operation" yesterday after medical examination suggested fluid collection in her abdomen.

Mass protests for the third straight day Sunday against the gang-rape of a young woman turned violent, leaving scores injured, including one policeman in critical condition, and turning the India Gate area into a virtual war zone.

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Delhi gang rape: Police use teargas, water cannons as protests intensify

NEW DELHI: Teargas shells were lobbed and water cannons used at protesters at India Gate agitating against the gang rape of a young girl today as they marched towards Raisina Hill, hours after police evacuated demonstrators from there and Sonia Gandhi's residence.

Police use teargas, water cannons to disperse protesters

This was the second successive day that police resorted to lobbing teargas shells and use of waterjets besides using force to contain the protest demanding speedy justice and stringent punishment for the accused in last Sunday night's incident. Doctors said the condition of the victim continues to be critical.

A group of protesters also met Sonia and Rahul Gandhi during which the Congress top leaders assured speedy action while refusing to give a time-frame for it.

Some protesters indulged in violence as they stopped East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit at India Gate, heckled him and damaged his car as well as a government jeep ferrying officials and clashed with the police while trying to march towards Raisina Hills, where Rashtrapati Bhavan and key government ministries are located.

Central Delhi faced huge traffic chaos due to a security clampdown on Rajpath even as protesters blocked roads near India Gate.

Teargas shells were lobbed at the agitators near India Gate at around 1pm as they tried to enter Rajpath to head towards Raisina Hills. However, later they were allowed to proceed in a bid to ease traffic on the radial road.

The protesters then tried to cross the barricades and clashed with the police who resorted to the use of water cannons at 1:15pm.

Early this morning, around 50-60 protesters, who stayed put at Raisina Hills throughout the night and some others infront of Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence, were evacuated while high drama was witnessed at India Gate when agitators resisted police attempts to detain them for defying prohibitory orders.

The protesters assembled near the war memorial from 9am when they were asked to vacate the location by the police which said the area was under prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC which bans the assembly of four or more persons.

As the protesters remained defiant, police forcibly removed them from the spot.

Some of the protesters tried to get out of the police van but were pushed back into the vehicle. Later, the protesters also deflated the tyres of the bus which was carrying them while a group of girls lay down infront of it.

Women protesters alleged that they were manhandled by male police personnel though women police were present at the spot.

A large number of policemen were deployed and Raisina Hills and Rajpath were barricaded. Eight Metro stations near India Gate and Raisina Hills were closed as part of police measures to contain the agitation.

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Delhi gang rape: Victim continues to be critical, doctors say

NEW DELHI: The condition of the 23-year-old girl, who was gang raped in a moving bus last Sunday, continues to be critical and doctors are subjecting her to various tests today.

"We are subjecting her to all examinations and procedures. She continues to be critical," Dr B D Athani, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, told PTI.

Doctors had said yesterday that the rape victim is psychologically "composed and optimistic" about her future and has started communicating.

Doctors had also said they are keeping the patient on high doses of antibiotics and high standards of hygiene - two important factors for preventing infection.

Prohibitory orders clamped, protesters defy police

Earlier, hours after police evacuated demonstrators from Raisina Hills and Sonia Gandhi's residence, high drama was witnessed at India Gate today when protesters resisted police attempts to detain them for defying prohibitory orders to protest against the gang rape of a young girl.

The protesters assembled near the war memorial from 9am when they were asked to vacate the location by the police which said the area was under Section 144 of CrPC which bans the assembly of four or more persons. As the protesters remained defiant, police forcibly removed them from the spot.

Some of the protesters tried to get out of the police van but were pushed back into the vehicle. Later, the protesters also punctured the tyres of the bus which was carrying them while a group of girls lay down infront of it. Women protesters alleged that they were manhandled by male police personnel though women police were present at the spot.

"We are here to protest a heinous crime. We have the right to protest," said Pushpa, a Nepali national, who is pursuing studies here.

Earlier in the morning, the police evacuated a number of protesters from area of Raisina Hills, where Rashtrapati Bhavan and key government offices are located, and outside Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence where they had stayed put since last night to protest against the gang-rape of the 23-year-old girl on Sunday last.

The protesters, most of them students, who spent a chilly night in the open after they fought pitched battles with the police throughout the day yesterday at Raisina Hills, were taken into a bus in an early morning operation. Outside Gandhi's residence also, protesters were taken into custody.

A large number of police men were deployed and Raisina Hills and Rajpath were barricaded. Eight metro stations near India Gate and Raisina Hills were closed as part of police preparations to contain the agitation.

The police clamped prohibitory orders in New Delhi district and asked protesters to stage demonstrations either at Jantar Mantar or Ramlila Maidan.

A Delhi Police statement said, "Protestors may go to Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar. Traffic has been diverted from Vijay Chowk and Rajpath."

It said prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have been issued in New Delhi area except Jantar Mantar.

Anticipating more protests on the gang rape issue, eight Delhi Metro stations near Raisina Hill and India Gate were also closed for public.

Last night, it was decided to close four stations — Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan and Race Course — but this morning it was extended to four more — Barakhamba Road, Mandi House, Khan Market and Pragati Maidan.

Though the commuters were less in the morning it being on Sunday, the few who chose to take the metro to reach these destinations were put to hardship as they unaware of the announcement made late last night by DMRC.

Delhi Metro's decision came on the directions of the Delhi Police. The stations will remain closed till further orders.

"The stations will remain closed till DMRC gets further orders from the Delhi Police. All the four stations are close to India Gate. However, interchange will be allowed at Central Secretariat station," DMRC officials said.

The police move came a day after thousands of youths clashed with the police at Raisina Hills protesting against the gang-rape and demanding speedy punishment to the accused.

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Delhi gang- rape: waves of protest slam Raisina Hill

22 December 2012

Demonstrators react as police
unleash water cannon and tear gas
during a protest rally following the
rape of a student on December 15,
in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo:
Kamal Narang
The seething outrage over the
gruesome gang-rape case spilled
on to the Raisina Hill and the entire
stretch of Rajpath on Saturday as a
large number of youth, in different
groups, descended there to knock
at the doors of the Head of the
State at Rashtrapati Bhavan
seeking justice for the victim.
The day-long action that saw
unabated agitation and an
aggressive response from the Delhi
Police, in which 125 tear-gas shells
were lobbed and over 35
protesters injured, culminated in a
meeting of one of the groups with
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar
Shinde who assured them of fast-
tracking the trial in the case and a
“sea-change” in policing through
implementation of long-term
reforms.
Following waves of protests, in
which the young school and
college-going youth, comprising a
large number of girls, raised
slogans and engaged the police,
the government relented. A seven-
member group comprising five
young women met the Home
Minister at his residence around
7.15 p.m.. Earlier in the day,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
had summoned Mr. Shinde and
directed him to intervene in the
matter.
Despite assurances by the group of
a positive government response to
their demands, the other sceptical
protesters refused to budge from
the arena stating they would not
leave until a senior government
functionary addressed them in
person sharing the measures being
taken.
It was around 8 a.m. that the youth
had started converging at India
Gate demanding death penalty for
the rapists. As the crowd swelled,
it began moving up on Rajpath
towards Rashtrapati Bhavan. The
police, however, blocked the path
of the protesters with barricades
and buses parked at the footsteps
of Raisina Hills.
Overshooting police anticipation,
students and young professionals
— who primarily relied on social
media and SMS communication to
muster support — began
screaming their lungs out against
what they described was utter
complacency and lip service by the
government and the police in the
matter.
As new groups kept merging with
the protesting crowds, their first
face-off with the police happened
around 11 a.m. To disperse them,
the police trained a water-cannon
on them and lobbed a volley of
tear-gas shells.
What followed was a brief spell of
violence by some protesters who
targeted police buses, accusing the
police of unnecessarily using force
on unarmed protesters who
included girls and women. On at
least six occasions, the police
resorted to caning the young
protesters, who hurled stones,
shoes and water bottles at them in
retaliation.
Around 5.30 p.m. when hassled
senior police officers were busy
negotiating with a group to defuse
the prevailing situation and
manage the leader-less crowd, the
lathi-wielding security personnel
in riot-gears again charged at the
protesters driving them away.
The protesters again tried to
reorganise themselves at the
nearby Vijay Chowk where they
were attacked again, this time
from all the directions. Several of
them sustained injuries but they
decided to stay put with young
girls forming a chain around male
counterparts to stall the police
advance. Leaders of the Aam
Aadmi Party, including Gopal Rai,
Manish Sisodia and Kumar
Vishwas, who also participated
along their supporters, addressed
the crowd later in the evening.
“Had the President come out even
once and addressed the youth
assuring firm action, the
protesters would have quietly
dispersed …we should not leave
this place till our demands are
met,” said Mr. Vishwas, drawing a
loud cheer.
For their part, the police claimed
that 37 of their personnel and
around 35 protesters were injured
in the action. “In all, 125 tear-gas
shells were used. Thirty
barricades, six buses, two
motorcycles and two government
vehicles parked at Vayu Bhawan
were damaged. A case of rioting
and destruction of public property
is being registered at the
Parliament Street police station,”
said a police officer.

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