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| [GFX ©news.BDTV.in/Woman's Sketch By Imran Khan] |
New Delhi: Amid outpouring of grief and public glare across India, the mortal
remains of gang-rape victim was consigned to flames early on Sunday at a
private ceremony, hours after her dead body arrived back in New Delhi.
The plan for her cremation was kept secret till the last
moment as police apprehended a large gathering may cause problems.
Dreading law and order problems, authorities wanted to
perform the last rites before 06:30 a.m. (IST) but their plan did not go
through as Hindu tradition did not allow cremation before sunrise.
The cremation took place under a dense cover of fog.
Earlier, on Sunday morning plane with the mortal remains was
taken to its technical area where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress
chief Sonia Gandhi were present to receive the body.
Both Singh and Gandhi spoke to the family members and
consoled them.
The body was then taken to her residence and religious
rituals were performed before taking it to a crematorium in the neighbourhood
amid heavy deployment of Delhi Police and RAF personnel.
The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact
that hundreds of protesters have gathered at Jantar Mantar, in the heart of the
national capital, to mourn over the demise of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim.
Police have imposed prohibitory orders around India Gate and
Raisina Hill and barricaded all roads leading to the area, as well as shutting
down 10 Metro stations in central Delhi.
The victim, who underwent three surgeries, had damaged
internal organs in the assault. She also suffered a cardiac arrest and brain
injury.
Police have slapped murder charges, which has death penalty
in rarest of rare cases, against the six accused and will file the chargesheet
against them on January 03.
Investigators said they will seek the stringent punishment
for the culprits.