In a powerful display of anguish and protest, the survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case staged a demonstration at India Gate in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. Her protest came hours after the Delhi High Court granted bail to the convicted former Uttar Pradesh MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
"I Wanted to Kill Myself": Survivor's Anguish at India Gate
The survivor, accompanied by her mother and women's rights activist Yogita Bhayana, expressed deep distress and a sense of betrayal by the judicial system. She revealed that the bail order left her feeling so unsafe and hopeless that she contemplated suicide on the spot, stopping only for the sake of her family. Speaking to ANI, she directly linked the timing of Sengar's bail to the upcoming political landscape, alleging it was orchestrated to facilitate his wife's electoral participation. "Injustice has been done to us. Elections are coming and he has been released on bail so that his wife can contest the polls," she stated.
Legal Battle and Family's Ongoing Fear
The survivor's family has endured a long and harrowing legal battle, marked by multiple tragedies. She recounted the chain of events linked to Sengar, including the death of her uncle and the custodial death of her father. Her sister, who also spoke out, claimed that unidentified men had been threatening the family since the bail order. "He killed my uncle and then my father. Then this happened to my sister," the sister said, adding, "He has been released, but we are still in danger."
Activist Yogita Bhayana questioned the grounds for granting bail, highlighting the isolation faced by the survivor's family throughout the process. "Rapists are getting bail, and innocents are being kept in jail. After his release, the family is under threat," Bhayana asserted.
Bail Conditions and Continued Custody in Separate Case
The Delhi High Court's division bench, comprising Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, suspended Sengar's life sentence in the rape case while his appeal is pending. The bail was granted on the condition of furnishing a bond worth Rs 15 lakh. However, Sengar will not walk free immediately. He remains in custody in connection with a separate case related to the custodial death of the survivor's father, for which he was sentenced to 10 years. His appeal in that case is still pending.
Despite the setback, the survivor stated she has not lost all faith in the judiciary. She declared her intention to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the bail order. "I have faith in the Supreme Court. We are scared that he has been released," she said. The protest at India Gate was eventually disbanded by Delhi Police, who removed the survivor, her mother, and the activist from the premises.
