'Exposing my identity': Unnao rape survivor pleads for help; blames Sengar's daughters
The Unnao rape survivor has appealed for support. She claims Kuldeep Singh Sengar's daughters and their supporters are revealing her identity on social media. This puts her safety at risk. The Supreme Court has stayed a High Court order granting bail to Sengar. The survivor's mother welcomed the Supreme Court's decision.
NEW DELHI: The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case on Saturday pleaded for support alleging that the daughters of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and their supporters are "exposing" her identity on social media, putting her safety at risk.In a video message, the survivor said, "Kuldeep Singh Sengar's two daughters and their supporters have, for the past few days, been exposing my identity on social media."
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"I am seeing it everywhere, on Facebook, Instagram, everywhere," she added.
Sengar, a former Uttar Pradesh MLA, was convicted in December 2019 in the Unnao rape case and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh.
Earlier on January 1, the survivor made an emotional appeal on social media, urging people to stand with her beyond caste lines, as she alleged that she and her husband have been facing a sustained smear campaign online.Her appeal came days after the daughter of expelled BJP leader and Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar claimed on X that "her father was innocent and sought public support."In a video message, the survivor had said that over the past two days, she and her husband had been targeted on social media by people identifying themselves as Sengar’s supporters.She also alleged that posts were being circulated online in support of Sengar at Jantar Mantar on January 11, allegedly called by his daughters.
"I am also a daughter of this country. Please become my voice. A criminal has no caste," the survivor said in the video.Reaffirming her faith in the judicial process, she appealed to society to stand with her in the fight for justice instead of rallying behind a convicted offender.
Supreme Court stays bail
On December 29, the Supreme Court stayed a Delhi high court order that had suspended Sengar’s life sentence and granted him bail. The apex court said he shall not be released from custody.A three-judge vacation bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.G. Masih, was hearing the CBI’s plea against the high court’s December 23 order.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, urged the court to stay the order, calling it a "horrific rape" of a minor. "We are answerable to the child who was (aged) 15 years and 10 months," he said, noting that Sengar was a powerful MLA at the time.
High Court order and reactions
The Delhi high court had granted bail citing that Sengar had already served seven years and five months in prison and questioned whether an elected representative fits the definition of a "public servant" under the IPC for the purposes of the POCSO Act. The order imposed several conditions while granting bail, including a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties, a direction not to enter a 5-km radius of the survivor’s residence in Delhi, and a strict bar on threatening the survivor or her mother. The high court decision sparked protests by the survivor, her family and activists.