Delhi: Gangrape victim hit by blunt object, suffered intestinal damage, is critical

New Delhi: The victim of the brutal gangrape in south Delhi's Vasant Vihar area is said to be in a critical condition and fighting for her life in the ICU of the Safdarjung hospital after suffering intestinal damage during the horrific assault. The doctors attending to her said that she was hit by a blunt object and suffered injuries to her abdomen and intestines.

"The victim has injury on her face and abdomen. She was hit with some blunt object. She is critical. Her intestine is damaged. Her life is still in danger. She is in shock. The girl is on ventilator support," said one of the hospital officials.

The girl, a para-medical student from Dehra Dun, was gangraped, stripped and thrown off a moving bus, along with her male friend, on Sunday night. The girl and her friend had boarded the bus from Munirka on Sunday night and were on their way to Palam, when the incident happened near Mahipalpur. Following the assault, the victim and her friend were stripped and thrown off the bus near the Mahipalpur flyover, however, not before the boy, who works with a software company and is preparing for the civil services, was brutally beaten up. He suffered serious head and arm injuries.

According to the police, seven men were present in the bus at the time of crime. The boy then lodged a complaint at the Vasant Vihar police station at 1.15 am.

The police have rounded up 24 people in connection with the case and interrogations are on. The 24 men are white line bus drivers and conductors. The police is also scanning CCTV footages from nearby hotels and petrol pumps.

National Commission for Women Chairperson Mamata Sharma has demanded a probe. "The point is that the area where this incident took place is densely populated. They brutally hit the boy and then raped the girl. The alertness of the Delhi Police is questionable. I will go tomorrow and meet the victim, and write to Sheila Dikshit. The police knows it all, how to react and take an action."

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit responded saying the law and order in Delhi was not in her hands. However, later on, the CM assured action. "White-line buses are not allowed to ply on the roads. We will take strict action," she said. "I have been informed that state transport department had cancelled the license of white line bus. We will take strongest action possible in the case so that this thing can't happen in future," she added.

Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chaudhary said, "I feel saddened. I read these comments.. Govt has done so much. Why are they socially acceptable? How are they allowed into weddings and other gatherings? I think there should be profile of these people and they should not be allowed to have bank accounts and insurance shouldn't cover them."

Women rights' activist Ranjana Kumari said, "There is no law and order in Delhi. It shows that no one is safe in Delhi. General mentality is that girls are safe when they are with any friend, father, brother or any male.. and now this mentality has also been ruled out. Now situation is that she is in coma and she is on life support. There should be better law and security in Delhi."