Family proud as president honours Delhi gang-rape victim

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) The father of the Delhi gang-rape victim Friday said he was proud that President Pranab Mukherjee honoured his daughter posthumously with the Rani Laxmi Bai Award on International Women’s Day here Friday.

“I am proud for the award honouring my daughter. But there is a huge void in my life which cannot be filled with any reward. I wish she was present here to receive her own award,” the 53-year-old father of the gang-rape victim told IANS.

“My entire family was invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan. We were provided an official vehicle. I felt proud for my daughter when my wife received the award,” he said.

While giving away the award, the president said he was happy that the Rani Lakshmi Bai Award had been given to “the spirit of Nirbhaya”.

The 23-year-old woman, named Nirbhaya by the media, was brutally gang-raped and physically assaulted by six men in a moving bus in Delhi Dec 16. She died Dec 29.

IANS 2013-03-08 22:24:04