Plane with body of ’India’s Daughter’, family leaves Singapore

www.mangaloretoday.com

Singapore, Dec 29, 2012: The body of the 23-year-old victim of brutal gang-rape and assault in Delhi is likely to be flown to India around midnight, hours after she died at a Singapore super specialty hospital.An Air India chartered plane carrying the body of Damini as well as her family members left for India at 10 pm IST, said Indian High Commissioner to Singapore TCA Raghavan. The plane is expected to land in New Delhi around 3 am on Sunday.

 
Just three nights ago, the parents had flown with the student and her doctors on an air ambulance to Singapore.

"She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome," a statement by the Mount Elizabeth Hospital said.

The Prime Minister appealed for calm and vowed that those guilty of the murderous assault will be severely punished.

"While she may have lost her battle for life, it is up to us all to ensure that her death will not have been in vain," Dr Manmohan Singh said. The president of his party, Sonia Gandhi, said, "It strengthens our resolve to fight with all our might and with all the powers of our laws and our administration for the safety and protection of all women of our country."

 

The Delhi Police sealed all routes to India Gate in the heart of the capital, where protests last weekend had been spattered with violence. 5,000 policemen and security officers, some of them in riot gear, were posted to ward off demonstrators who strayed. Nobody did.

In Delhi, close to 500 protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar, the designated spot for demonstrations; some of them lay down with black ribbons across their mouths.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tried to join them, but was heckled after she lit a candle and was then taken away by her security. Protesters said they objected to her presence because they do not want a political tint to today’s sombre mood.