STUDENT'S RAPE AND DEATH PROMPTS VISIT

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Student's rape and death prompts visit

A delegation from Leicester is to meet leading politicians in New Delhi to convey their dismay at the brutal gang rape and death of a 23-year-old medical student.

It will be led by the general secretary of the Leicestershire branch of the Indian Workers Association Sital Singh Gill.

A condolence meeting was held on Friday to pay homage to the memory of the victim, who died in hospital on December 29, two weeks after being attacked on a bus in New Delhi. Mr Gill said: "We want to convey our deep concerns from the people of Leicester to the leaders of India's political parties."

Mr Gill, who represents 3,600 members of the association, said: "This brutal and shameful incident has shocked and galvanised the whole country."

About 100 people from across the community attended the event at the Highfields Centre, in Melbourne Road.

The meeting, which followed an community vigil at Leicester Cathedral, was attended by the Lord Mayor of Leicester Councillor Abdul Osman, who gave his support to the forthcoming visit.

Five men have been charged with rape and murder.

The meeting approved a petition to be sent to Dr Jamini Bhagwati, the Indian High Commissioner, to forward the concerns of the Leicester Indian Community to the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh.

In photo above, from left: Meena Kumari, Sital Singh Gill, who will lead the delegation to India, Mark Parish, of Leicestershire Police, Councillor Pramjit Singh Gill, Councillor Baljit Singh and Kashmir Singh