JOIN US'She wanted rapists to be burnt alive'
The 23-year-old paramedical student, whose gang rape and brutal assault sparked a nationwide outrage, wanted the six accused to be burnt alive for the trauma that she went through, her male friend has revealed.
The software engineer said the woman told this to a sub-divisional magistrate in her statement at Safdarjung Hospital.
“She was aware that all the accused were arrested and evidence was collected. So, instead of being hanged, she wanted the accused to be burnt alive,” he told a news channel.
He said his friend was struggling for breath during the four hours it took to record her statement while being on ventilator.
“The SDM was in the hospital for over four hours and my friend was continuously coughing as her face mask had been taken off to give the statement.
Doctors kept on insisting for the process to be stopped, but she wanted to narrate the entire incident,” he added.
The woman also revealed the unspeakable torture that she went through after he was knocked unconscious by the accused. “She said her organs were taken out. It came as a shock to me, as I believe even animals don’t get so cruel while hunting,” he said.
He, however, criticised the SDM over the drama that came to light a day after the statement was recorded.
“At first I thought that my friend’s efforts were wasted by the drama created by authorities. She put in so much effort while speaking every single word to punish the culprits. It was cruel to make her narrate her ordeal again in front of a metropolitan magistrate,” he insisted.
Maintaining that the woman did not make her statement under any pressure, he claimed that authorities were to be blamed for the controversy. “I was with her when the incident took place, I was also a victim,” he said.
He was also of the opinion that the woman would have survived if she had been shifted to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital during the initial days of treatment. “It was as if the government was waiting for pressure to be built up.
They were not initiating any action, but they were waiting for my friend’s condition to deteriorate. Their actions came only after protest became stronger,” he said.
He claimed that the woman was really brave to narrate her ordeal without any fear and fight for justice.
“I had met her at the hospital. She could not talk to me, but was able to listen. I told her that I will be with her until all the accused are punished,” he said.
He confirmed that police officials and authorities had approached him to meet the woman. “I was told that it would boost her confidence, but I wanted to be with her too. I do not believe that I should have left her alone and ran away while she was attacked or while she was undergoing treatment,” he added.
Given a chance, he said, he would not have gone to the Saket mall or waited for an autorickshaw or another bus.
“I kept thinking about the sequence of events for almost two weeks and could never sleep. Her memory is still alive, and I think a strong anti-gang rape law on her name will be a tribute to her. I would suggest that the protest should continue till a strong law is made,” he said.