They must be punished: Delhi gang-rape victim

The gang rape that has shaken the Indian conscience took a dramatic turn when one of the main accused accepted his crime and requested to be hanged.

Meanwhile, according to latest reports, the brave 23-year-old medical student has been taken off ventilator. She scribbled a message that read, "they must be punished", according to an NDTV report.

However, her blood platelet counts are dropping and doctors fear an infection may set in her liver.

Senior doctors are at her care round the clock following the series of operations she had to undergo.

Two days earlier, she had written a touching note to her family saying she wants to live, according to a Times of India report.

According to Indian media reports, major portions of the girl's intestines had to be removed, but her other vital organs are functionin g normally.

Meanwhile, protests spread across the nation and riot police were seen on their feet in many states.

In the capital, New Delhi, riot police fired water cannon, witnesses said.

The police hosed the protestors as some of them tried to tear down steel barricades outside the official residence of New Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, reported AFP.

Clashes also erupted between protestors and police at the demonstration, one of a series being held in the capital to protest Sunday night's attack.

Before the violence broke out, protestors could be seen carrying banners and chanting: "We want equal rights for women."

The victim, who was thrown off the bus after the attack, is in a critical condition in hospital. Her male companion was also seriously injured by the same group of attackers.

Four people, including the bus driver, have so far been arrested and a hunt has been launched for two other suspects.

Meanwhile, three of the six men accused of raping the young medical student who was produced in court accepted they are guilty.

Indian media quoted one of the accused Vinay Sharma, who worked at a gym as saying, "I admit to my crime. Hang me."

Mukesh, the other accused, was quoted as saying: “We hit the boy but not the girl."

Accused was beserk after the victim bit him

The 33-year-old prime accused claims he was drunk and he went berserk when the rape victim bit him on his hand in a bid to escape his clutches.

The man, Ram Singh, is called 'mental' by his friends for his volatile behaviour. He is a changed man ever since his wife passed away two years ago.

He has been involved in accident cases, brawls and has often got into trouble with the law. He is also accused of running away with a girl from his neighbourhood in the past, reveals The Times of India.

It is ironical that such an unstable man was in charge of driving a bus that not only ferried office-goers every day but also school children every morning and afternoon.

Police investigations reveal that the man is cold blooded and he has a professional attitude to crime. Once he pleaded guilty, he opened up and revealed gut-wrenching and revolting details of the fateful night.

Even while his friends were raping the girl, he had started planning for their escape. He was the masterming behind stripping the girl and her friend before dumping them on the road. This was done so there would be minimum trace of incriminating body fluid. He also grabbed the victims' mobile phones and switched them off.

He was so confident of not getting caught that he told his friends to carry on with their normal lives, but lie low for a few days. He even parked the bus after the incident at its usual place.

The next morning when he watched television and found the case being discussed all over the town, he went and washed the bus thoroughly to remove blood stains. However, the forsenic experts found enough evidence to net him and his pals.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old girl who was gang-raped and hit with an iron rod for nearly 45 minutes on a Delhi bus is in critical condition.

"Her condition is critical and deteriorating. In the morning, she was better but, in the evening, the situation fluctuated and her health deteriorated," Dr BD Athani, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, told PTI on Tuesday.

The victim has already undergone four surgeries and she is back on ventilator after her platelet count fell drastically.

India Outraged

Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the ruling party coalition, has demanded action, says 'our daughters, mothers, sisters are unsafe'. Gandhi visited the 23-year-old in the hospital where she is battling for her life.

The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit has asked the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court to open five special fast track courts for cases of rape and assault against women.

Jaya Bachchan, an actress and a member of India's Upper House (Rajya Sabha) in the Parliament, broke down while condemning the incident.

She could barely continue to speak as she was overcome by tears. She told the media outside the Parliament that she would like the accused to be let loose to the public, who would give them their due. She was worried about the girl's emotional and psychological condition. Her physical medical condition would be treated in the hospital, said Jaya, but what about her parents and what about the girl once she goes back home?

Jaya's husband and Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan also spoke out strongly against the gang rape of the young woman. He called the act "atrocious and unforgivable."

He wrote: "The horrific rape case in New Delhi is beyond any kind of vocabulary to describe its occurrence !! It is an act of a demon, a monster that deserves the harshest punishment ; a punishment that should set an example for any such perpetrator in the future."

He later tweeted: "Wanted to say so much of the day .. but so disturbed by the gang rape case in Delhi .. atrocious and unforgivable !! On this public platform I dare not even attempt to mention the details of the rape case .. even an animal would not behave so .. !!"

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.