New Delhi: India continues to be angry for the fifth day in a row after the brutal rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in the heart of the national capital. Even as people from cities across the nation came out to show their solidarity with the victim and demand justice, Delhi remained the focal point, with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit herself calling it unsafe, and saying that she was ashamed.
The protests continued in Delhi and other places even as the victim continued her brave battle for life at the Safdarjung hospital while the Delhi police said it had arrested the sixth and the final suspect in the case from Aurangabad in Bihar. The police even said they were confident to press for maximum punishment for the culprits.
Amidst these, the Delhi High Court pulled up the police, saying it was not satisfied with the investigation report and termed it as being evasive on police officers on duty at the route taken by the bus when crime was committed. Whereas, Union Home Secretary RK Singh lauded the Delhi Police for being quick in probe and said that there was no reason for the police to be defensive.
It wasn't just India Gate - protesters breached the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Delhi Chief Minister's residence was picketed and at 10 Janpath, Sonia Gandhi's residence, people were detained. All this even as the girl continued her brave battle. Doctors indicated she is off the ventilator now, but the next 2-3 days are critical. Meanwhile, the Delhi police said it had arrested the 6th and final suspect in the case. The police say they are confident they can press for the maximum punishment.
Sixth accused arrested from Aurangabad in Bihar
The police on Friday arrested the sixth accused in connection with the case from Aurangabad in Bihar. The Delhi Police had been conducting raids in Haryana and Bihar to trace the arrested accused, who had been absconding since the incident took place.
This comes hours after the Delhi Police arrested the fifth accused from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the case. However, his details were not given as the police commissioner said that his age had to be verified before giving out any detail.
Next 2-3 days crucial, victim off the ventilator
The doctors said that the victim wass showing mixed response to the treatment and had been taken off the ventilator. The information was given by Dr BD Athani, the medical superintendent at the hospital.
Furnishing the details of the health condition of the victim, Dr Athani further said that she was conscious and her pulse rate was normal. Also, the platelet count of the victim was stable while her bilirubin and lymphocyte counts had also gone up.
However, the white blood cell count of the victim had gone down and her liver was not in a good condition, said the doctors treating her at the Safdarjung Hospital. "We are supplying her food through intravenous because of no intestine...Her white blood cell count has really gone down and liver's condition is not good," said Dr Athani.
High Court pulls up police over probe report, lax security
The Delhi Court pulled up the police and said it was not satisfied with the investigation report filed on the brutal gangrape case. Terming the report as being evasive on police officers on duty at the route taken by the bus when the heinous crime was being committed, the court called for a more detailed response on the measures that are being taken to prevent crimes against women.
"We are not satisfied with your report on what the policemen on duty were doing at that time. This aspect is evasive. We need a more detailed response on measures to prevent such crimes in future," the court observed. The court will hear the case on January 9 and asked the police to submit a detailed response then.
The court also took note of the huge delay in the results of forensic tests and said that very often there is a shortage of chemicals and manpower and shortage of skilled workers. The court also directed the government to look into this aspect too and added that cases should not get delayed because of this.
Police to seek maximum punishment for accused
Union Home Secretary RK Singh on Friday said the government would seek maximum punishment for the accused in the gangrape case. He further said that the investigators had collected enough evidence in the case and would seek a fast-track court, which should hear the case on a day-to-day basis for faster delivery of justice.
Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar pointed out that the accused would also be charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder) under the Indian Penal Code apart from sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting), 376 (2)(g) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 394 (hurting in committing robbery), 34 (common intention) and 201 (destruction of evidence).
Will make Delhi a safer place: Home Secretary
The government on Friday assured that Delhi would now be a safer place where both men and women would be able to move freely anywhere at any point of time. Union Home Secretary RK Singh assured that the policing in the national capital would be stepped up and made better. "The kind of policing we will have, we will ensure that everyone, men or women, can move freely in any part of Delhi in both day and night," he said.
Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who addressed mediapersons alongwith the Union Home Secretary, said that the patrolling in the city had already been intensified. "We have been going for plain cloth patrolling...now we have intensified the patrolling," said the police chief.
Both Singh and Kumar assured that the transport system in the city would also be made better with installation of GPS in buses and autos.
(With Additional Inputs from PTI)
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