Rapists should be hanged within a month: Swati Maliwal after Unnao rape victim's death

After the Unnao rape victim succumbed to burn injuries on Friday, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said that the rapists should be hanged within a month.

"I appeal to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Central government that the rapists in this case should be hanged within a month," Maliwal told ANI here on Saturday.

Maliwal is currently on a hunger strike protesting against rape incidents in the country.

After battling for life at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, the Unnao rape victim who was set ablaze while on her way to a court hearing on Thursday morning, died at 11:40 pm last night.

Dr Shalab Kumar, HOD of Burns and Plastic department at the hospital told ANI: "It is very sad that the Unnao rape victim could not survive despite our best efforts. She suffered cardiac arrest at 11:10 pm and we tried to resuscitate her, but she could not survive."

On Thursday, the 23-year-old was airlifted from Lucknow's SMC government hospital to Safdarjung Hospital.

According to the police, five miscreants allegedly threw kerosene on the woman and set her ablaze when she was on her way to a local court for the hearing of the rape case she had filed.

Notably, the woman had filed the case in March this year, which is under trial at a local court in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken cognisance of the incident and said that the treatment of the victim will be carried out on the government's expense and strict action will be taken against the accused.