Unnao Rape Survivor Appeals to PM Modi, President Murmu and Amit Shah for Justice, Meets LoP Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case on Wednesday met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath in the national capital, reiterating her plea for justice and expressing deep concern over her safety following the recent suspension of the life sentence awarded to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

Accompanied by her mother and women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana, the survivor said she wanted political leaders across party lines to hear her story and understand what her family has endured for years. She said she also wished to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and President Droupadi Murmu, adding that her struggle was not political but about survival and justice.

“I want to tell them what we are going through. I want justice”, the survivor said, after the meeting. The visit comes amid heightened tension after the Delhi High Court recently suspended Sengar’s life imprisonment sentence in the rape case while his appeal is pending.

Although the court imposed conditions while granting bail, the order has triggered outrage and anxiety among the survivor and her family, who say the decision has reopened old wounds and revived fears of intimidation.

The Unnao case dates back to 2017, when the survivor, then a minor, accused Sengar of raping her in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district. The case soon became one of the most high-profile crime matters in the country after the survivor’s father died in judicial custody following an alleged assault by the accused’s associates. In 2019, the survivor was also critically injured in a truck collision that killed two of her relatives, prompting nationwide outrage and intervention by the Supreme Court.

Following the transfer of the case to Delhi, a trial court in 2019 convicted Sengar of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was also convicted separately in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father. Sengar was expelled from the BJP after the conviction.

The recent High Court order suspending his life sentence has sparked protests in Delhi. On Tuesday, the survivor and her family staged a demonstration near India Gate, alleging they were not allowed to speak freely and were forcibly removed by security personnel.

After meeting the survivor, Rahul Gandhi expressed solidarity and criticised the manner in which she was treated during the protest, saying a victim seeking justice should not be made to feel like a criminal.

The survivor’s legal team has indicated that they are preparing to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court’s order. Meanwhile, the family has demanded enhanced security, stating that the latest developments have left them feeling unsafe once again.

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