Security personnel in Delhi on Wednesday manhandled the Unnao rape survivor and her elderly mother, who were protesting against a Delhi High Court order suspending the jail sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar convicted in the 2017 case.
The CRPF personnel prevented the women from addressing the media and allegedly forced the survivor’s elderly mother to jump off a moving bus, according to reports and eyewitness accounts. The survivor and her mother had planned to address the media at Mandi House.
However, the CRPF-escorted bus transporting them did not stop at the venue.
Visuals from the scene showed the survivor’s mother standing near the gate of the moving bus, with CRPF personnel reportedly pushing her and asking her to disembark. After repeated pressure, she was seen jumping off the moving vehicle, while the bus drove away with the survivor still inside. Reports also noted the absence of women CRPF personnel on the bus, despite it carrying the survivor and her mother.
According to a CRPF officer, permission had not been granted for protests at Mandi House or India Gate, and the authorities intended to take the duo either to Jantar Mantar or back to their residence.
The previous night, the survivor, her mother, and activist-lawyer Yogita Bhayana had staged a protest at the India Gate, where they were detained by the police.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar mocked the survivor when asked about the police action against her and mother.
When asked about the rape survivor being forcibly driven out of India Gate, Rajbhar said, "but her home is in Unnao...", before breaking into laughter.
Speaking to the media after the incident, the survivor’s mother alleged that security personnel forcibly separated her from her daughter.
"We did not get justice. My daughter has been held captive. It seems they want to kill us. CRPF men took the girl and dropped me on the road," she said. She added that they were on their way to Mandi House to protest when her daughter was taken away.
Reacting to the incident, activist Yogita Bhayana questioned the treatment of the victim’s family.
"Is this justice? The victim’s mother was thrown onto the street. She is crying and calling us. The survivor is all alone on the bus, being driven around," she said.
Bhayana also stated that the survivor is scared for her life.
According to media reports, the survivor and her mother met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, at his residence later today.
In a post on X, the Congress leader questioned the harassment against the rape survivor and stressed that she deserved respect and justice.
"Is such treatment of a gang rape survivor appropriate? Is her "fault" that she has the courage to raise her voice for justice? The fact that her perpetrator (former BJP MLA) has been granted bail is extremely disappointing and shameful—especially when the survivor is being repeatedly harassed, and is living under the shadow of fear. Bail for rapists, and treating survivors like criminals—what kind of justice is this?" he asked.
"We are not just becoming a dead economy—with such inhuman incidents, we are also turning into a dead society. In a democracy, raising a voice of dissent is a right, and suppressing it is a crime. The survivor deserves respect, safety, and justice—not helplessness, fear, and injustice," he added.
The Delhi High Court had on Tuesday suspended the life imprisonment awarded to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh during the pendency of his appeal.
The court imposed certain conditions, directing him not to enter within a five-kilometre radius of the victim’s residence in Delhi and not to threaten the survivor or her mother.
Sengar, however, will remain in jail since he is also serving a 10-year term in connection with the custodial death of the rape survivor's father and has not been granted bail in that case.
Reacting to the verdict, the survivor said that security for her family members, lawyers and witnesses has already been withdrawn, and the court's decision has only deepened her fears, reported PTI.
"If the convict gets bail in a case like this, how will the country's daughters remain safe? For us, this decision is no less than 'kaal' (death)," she said.
"Those with money win, those without money lose," she rued.
She added that she would challenge the high court order in the Supreme Court.
Sengar was convicted to life imprisonment for kidnapping and raping the minor girl by a trial court in December 2019. The court sentenced Sengar to imprisonment for the remainder of his life and also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on him.
According to the prosecution, the Unnao rape survivor, a minor, was kidnapped and raped by Sengar between June 11 to June 20, 2017 in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao area. She was then sold for Rs 60,000, after which she was recovered at the Maakhi police station.
The court found Sengar guilty of rape under section 376 (Rape) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 5(C) and 6 of the POCSO Act, holding that the victim's testimony was 'unblemished, truthful and of sterling quality'.
Meanwhile, the mother of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape victim, Asha Devi, has extended support to the survivor and her family.
She said the high court's decision to grant bail to Sengar was "unfortunate" and would send a "wrong message" to society, reported PTI.
"How can such a person be released? This will open the doors for other rape accused to approach courts for bail. It gives strength to those who commit such crimes," she said, adding that the decision would adversely impact the safety of women and girls across the country.
(With inputs from PTI)