The Uttar Pradesh Police has collected blood samples of the five accused in the rape and burn case of a 23-year-old woman Unnao woman who was set ablaze by her rape accused on December 5 and died the following day.

The samples were taken on Tuesday and will be matched with the DNA of the victim.

A local court, on Monday, had granted permission to cops to take blood and DNA samples of the five accused, Shubham, Shivam, Hari Shankar, Umesh and Ram Kishore.

Unnao Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikrant Vir said, “We have preserved the rape victim’s belongings like her clothes, cell phone, bag and bottle. We will match DNA samples with with those of the accused.”

“We will base the entire case on scientific evidence before filing chargesheet. We have so far collected electronic evidence like mobile phone location of the accused. It just cannot be a coincidence that all the five youths were present near the same spot where the woman was set ablaze.”

The SP further said that the “Statements of all the accused have been recorded and contradictions have been found in them.”

The SIT formed under Additional SP Vinod Kumar Pandey, is investigating the case.

The rape survivor, who was assaulted and set ablaze by five accused in the case on December 5, died of cardiac arrest late on Friday at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. She had survived a brutal gangrape earlier in March and was on her way to the Rae Bareli court to testify against the men.

The victim who had more than 90 per cent burn injuries lost the battle after 43 hours of being attacked.

The post-mortem report of the deceased stated that the victim had died of extensive burn injuries.

According to the victim’s statement to the police before her death, she was first hit on her head and then attacked with a knife on the neck. The men then poured kerosene and set her on fire.

The last rites of the Unnao rape victim were performed at her native village Hindupur, last Sunday amid tight security arrangements. She was laid to rest in the fields belonging to her family, where the graves of her grandparents are present.

The family of the victim had earlier said that they will not perform her last rites unless the Chief Minister arrives in their village and assures of strict action against the accused.

The family had agreed for the burial after an assurance from a senior-most government official of the area that their demands would be met.