After the death of the Unnao rape victim, who was set ablaze by five men on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya expressed grief over the issue and said that strict action should be taken against the accused.
Speaking to , Maurya said: "This is a very unfortunate incident. The state government had provided the best medical facilities for the girl, and she was taken to Delhi for treatment, yet we were unable to save the girl. The accused will not be forgiven and they will be punished as soon as possible."
He further stated that the government will step up its efforts to take strict action against rape convicts to ensure the safety of women in the state.
"I am personally aggrieved by the incident and I can understand the pain of the family of the victim. I offer my condolences to the family," he said.
Maurya also stated that incidents like these have tarnished the image of the government and stricter measures will be taken to reduce such incidents.
"People have forgotten their moral values. Earlier, a woman used to be respected and loved, and now these incidents have started increasing. We will do whatever we can to spread moral education among the people," he said.
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 on Friday.
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 a rape case she had filed in March.
( With inputs from ANI )