Decision to shift gang-rape woman purely medical: Government

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) It was a “purely medical decision” to shift the 23-year-old gang-rape victim to Singapore and it was not due to political reasons, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Friday.

“It was done for medical purposes. It was purely a medical decision taken by the doctors,” Khurshid said to a question on reports that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was behind the move to shift the gang-rape victim to Singapore Wednesday night.

Khurshid stresssed the “shifting was not done due to any political reasons”.

He said the government had helped with arranging for passports and visa for flying out the young woman and her parents to Singapore.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde also said the decision to shift the gang-rape victim to a Singapore hospital was made after consulting specialists.

“She was shifted after taking the opinions of doctors from Safdarjung Hospital. Trauma doctors were also consulted along with Dr. Naresh Trehan. She is still critical today. We will give her the best of treatment. Be it Singapore, London or America, we will send her wherever possible so that she recovers soon,” Shinde told reporters after an all-party meet on the Telangana issue.

The 23-year-old woman was flown out to Singapore Wednesday night after her condition deteriorated. She was brutally gang-raped on Dec 16 on a moving bus.

IANS 2012-12-28 20:40:05