Jyoti Singh Pandey's brutal rape and beating, spurred many in the country to protest. The victim has been anonymous up until now, in accordance with Indian law that does not reveal the name of a rape victim unless authorized to do by the victim or their family.
Pandey died in the hospital from a heart attack after the incident. The six men who are accused of the crime are now being tried for murder.
Badri told the Mirror that “I so desperately wanted her to survive, even though she would have to live with a memory of that attack and get through her trauma. We’re so devastated that she’s gone. There’s a huge void in our lives. She was the centre of our universe. Our lives revolved around her."
“Her absence is so painful, a future without her is unimaginable.”
Jyoti's father described the timeline of learning that his daughter had been in an accident and then hearing the horrific details of what happened, and he called for the death penalty for her assailants.
Badri also said that "the people of India have given us strength to cope up with our loss."
"I feel she’s not just my daughter but also India’s daughter."
Update, Jan. 6, 10:30 PM: According to BBC News, the victim's father is denying that he wished for his daughter to be named. The report claims that he said her identity should only be revealed if her name was attached to a new law. The Mirror has not issued a statement on the matter, but has continued to report from their interview with the father.