Indian rape victim set on fire on way to trial by gang of men, including alleged rapists
- Woman, 23, in critical condition after being doused in kerosene and set ablaze
- Crimes against women in spotlight, with thousands of Indians protesting following earlier rape and murder case in Hyderabad
A 23-year-old rape victim was set ablaze by a gang of men, including the alleged rapists, as she made her way to court in the northern India on Thursday, police said, stirring public outrage and shame over the scourge of crimes against women.
During the past week, thousands of Indians have protested in several cities following the alleged rape and murder of a 27-year-old vet near the southern city of Hyderabad.
Protesters and parliamentarians are pressing for courts to fast-track rape cases and demanding tougher penalties.
The woman attacked and burned on Thursday morning was in a critical condition, according to D.S. Negi, a doctor at the Civil Hospital in Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
The victim, who had suffered 70 per cent burns, will be flown in an air ambulance to New Delhi for better medical care, senior police officer S.N. Sabat said.