“You don’t give me one chappati when I am hungry, but try to shove food down my throat when I am dead. What’s the use of such help,” says Rajesh (name changed) cousin of the gang-rape victim, who breathed her last in Singapore.
Son of victim’s paternal uncle, Rajesh believes that though the accused threw her out of the moving bus believing that she was dead, there were more chances of her survival if she was sent to Singapore on the second or third day of the incident. It was too late, at least by a week, by the time she was flown out, said Rajesh.
“We kept telling the authorities and doctors that she should be shifted to some better hospital abroad. But we were told that first she needs to be stabilised. However, instead of stabilising, she suffered a fatal cardiac arrest due to whatever they were up to,” alleged Rajesh. He said she was as good as dead before being shifted to Singapore.
And he has reasons to think so.
During a meeting at the victim's house in Dwarka area of West Delhi, Rajesh told Deccan Herald: “Just before doctors said she suffered a cardiac arrest, she had made hand gesture trying to reach out to chachi. When chachi came she looked at her fondly for a few seconds following which the pupils of her eyes tilted, head rolled and hands fell apart.
“Doctor rushed and pressed her chest several times. After that she was surrounded by a team of doctors and we were all taken out of the room. For the family she had died then only. " Some relatives were told that she had passed away.
His claim has been corroborated by a senior Delhi Police officer. “We were expecting a declaration of her being dead on Wednesday evening,” the senior officer said.
"When we heard the decision to air lift her to Singapore, we started making preparations to tackle protest-like situation," he added.
According to him, it was only after an hour that the family was taken to the office of medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital and given forms to fill so that their passports could be made and they could accompany her to Singapore.
“The forms were filled, pictures clicked for passport in the superintendent office. Within an hour passports were ready,” Rajesh said. The victim was taken directly to Indira Gandhi International Airport while another ambulance was sent to Medanta Hospital to doze media.
Rajesh added that her hands were lying on her sides with palms open when she was being put in the ambulance. “Only the dead have hands like this,” he said.
How did he learn about the death?
“Chacha called around 1 am from Singapore and said teri behan ab nahi rahi (your sister is no more),” said Rajesh.
Friend’s father calls for death penalty
Father of the male friend of the rape victim has demanded that the six accused should be hanged as soon as possible.
The lawyer, a resident of Turkmanpur area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district, is in the capital to be with his son who was also assaulted in the attack on December 16.
“It is very unfortunate that she passed away during the treatment. Our close family and relatives feel that the accused must be hanged for the heinous crime to set an example in the country,” he said.
He added that they will attend the cremation of the woman. But are yet to be contacted by the woman’s family. It was revealed that the male friend has been struggling to cope with the incident and has been sick for the past few days.