Policemen stand guard outside the cremation ground during the funeral of a rape victim after her body arrived from Singapore, in New Delhi, December 30, 2012.
The body of the woman whose gang rape has triggered an outpouring of grief and anger across India has been cremated in a private ceremony.
The young woman's body was flown home from Singapore after her death Saturday.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, were at the airport to receive the body early Sunday and to meet the victim's family.
The 23-year-old unidentified woman died of severe organ failure in a Singapore hospital after suffering internal injuries and brain damage in the attack.
Indian authorities have charged six men with murder. Police say the men could face the death penalty if convicted.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has offered his condolences to the woman's family.
He said in a statement "violence against women must never be accepted, never excused, never tolerated."
India Mourns Gang Rape Victim
1/12Sand artist Raj Kapoor holds a candle near a sculpture at the Sangam to pay tribute to a gang rape victim who died early Saturday, in Allahabad, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
2/12An Indian ties a black band as he arrives to attend a gathering to mourn the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim, in Mumbai, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
3/12An Indian woman shouts at a police officer during a gathering of people to mourn the death of the 23-year-old gang rape victim in Mumbai, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
4/12Indian women participate in a candle-lit vigil in New Delhi to mourn the death of a gang rape victim, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
5/12A demonstrator shouts slogans during a protest in New Delhi, December 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
6/12Indian men and women lie down on the ground mimicking dead bodies as they mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
7/12Indians gather next to a makeshift memorial to mourn the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim, in Bangalore, India , Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
8/12A man participates in a candle-lit vigil to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
9/12An Indian woman holds a placard as she joins others in a protest to mourn the death of the 23-year-old gang rape victim, in Bangalore, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
10/12People walk near a sand sculpture with the words "We Want Justice" created by Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik, in solidarity with a gang rape victim who was assaulted in New Delhi, on a beach in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, December 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
11/12Indian women participate in a candle-lit vigil to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
12/12A girl holds a placard as she takes part in a protest rally in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, December 29, 2012.
News of the death of a 23-year-old gang rape victim prompted thousands of people to stage peaceful protests throughout India Saturday, despite tight security to prevent mass demonstrations. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
Previous slide
Next slide
Candlelight vigils have been held in New Delhi and many cities across India. The protesters demanded justice for the victim and safety for women.
New Delhi has been rocked by mass protests since the woman was attacked December 16.
The outcry over the attack caught the Indian government off-guard. It took a week for Prime Minister Singh to make a statement on the case, infuriating many protesters.
The woman is reported to have accepted a ride with a male companion on a charter bus in New Delhi where the six men on board beat them both with an iron rod. The woman was raped repeatedly. Reports say the rod was used in the rape. The woman and her friend were then thrown from the moving vehicle.
The male friend survived the attack.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.