Protests held over gangrape victim's death

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Protests broke out in India Saturday after the death of a 23-year-old woman who was gang-raped in New Delhi, officials said.

The victim, whose name has yet to be released, died early Saturday at a hospital in Singapore where she was taken for special treatment, the BBC reported.

About 4,000 people protested in New Delhi Saturday, despite a government order banning gatherings of more than five people after previous protests over the crime became violent. Protesters came together at the Jantar Mantar observatory, which is not covered by the ban.

One protester, Poonam Kaushik, blamed the attack on "the government's inefficiency to ensure safety of women in Delhi" and said the victim's death would generate "even more anger."

"We don't want your condolences! We don't want your fake sentiments! We demand immediate action to strengthen the laws against sexual violence," said one sign at the protest.

President Pranab Mukherjee called the gang-rape victim a "brave daughter of India" as her family made preparations for her funeral.

The 23-year-old university student's body was to be flown to Delhi from Singapore on a chartered jet Saturday afternoon, Press Trust of India reported. T.C.A. Raghavan, the Indian high commissioner to Singapore, said her family had not yet decided on her last rites.

Raghavan said the family told him they hoped her death would lead to changes making India safer for women.

Meanwhile, on Friday, one of the six suspects in the case was remanded to judicial custody for 12 days, the Press Trust of India reported.

"[Akshay Singh] is remanded to judicial custody. Let he be produced on January 9," the court said.

Singh was ordered held to allow investigators more time to collect evidence.