New Delhi: The Indian student gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi has arrived in Singapore for further treatment, hospital staff said on Thursday.
The 23-year-old is at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment and is in an "extremely critical condition", a hospital spokesperson said.
The victim - who was attacked with an iron rod during her 40-minute gang rape on a bus on December 16 in New Delhi - was suffering from severe intestinal injuries, said the hospital chief in India where the victim was initially admitted.
"She has had to be operated upon three times. With fortitude and courage she has survived the after-effects of the injuries so far but her condition continues to be critical," Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent B.D. Athani told reporters on Wednesday.
The hospital chief hinted that the student may have to receive an organ transplant in Singapore.
"The said hospital has a state-of-art multi-organ transplant facility. The arrangement has also been made for the family to accompany her as the treatment may take longer period," he said.
India on Wednesday announced it was setting up a special commission of inquiry after the gang-rape when the woman was allegedly tricked into boarding a bus by the six men who then took it in turns to assault her.
Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack and have been remanded in custody.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said the inquiry would "identify the lapses if any on the part of the police, or another authority or person that contributed to the occurrence, and fix responsibility for the lapses or negligence".
Chidambaram also said a separate panel would examine existing legislation and "suggest changes in the laws in order to make punishment for such horrific crimes stiffer".
The panel will submit its report in 30 days, he added.
"Whatever we do now is intended to demonstrate the government's serious intent in the matter that we will apprehend and punish the perpetrators, we will try and find out what went wrong... and fix responsibility and amend the laws."
Thousands of people have taken to the streets since the attack to demonstrate both against the levels of violence and also the notoriously slow criminal justice system.
Information Minister Manish Tiwari appealed for calm and restraint.
"It is important to underscore sensitivity and restraint from all sides is called for," he said.
