'Kaal' for my family: Unnao rape survivor on Sengar's jail term suspension; to move SC

New Delhi/Unnao (UP), Dec 24 (PTI) The Unnao rape survivor said on Wednesday that the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar's jail term in the 2017 case is "kaal" (death) for her family and vowed to fight for justice by moving the Supreme Court against the verdict.

The 25-year-old woman, along with her mother, also staged a protest at India Gate but faced "ill-treatment" at the hands of police. She later met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi for help in her fight for justice and the two assured her of their support.

The Unnao rape survivor took the centre stage as she landed in the national capital a day after the Delhi High Court suspended the sentence of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sengar, who is serving a life term in the 2017 case.

"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," the rape survivor rued.

The woman, who staged a protest with her mother near Mandi House here against the high court verdict, said she would challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

Women's rights activist Yogita Bhayana, who staged a protest with the rape survivor's mother at India Gate on Tuesday, shared a video on X, in which the survivor was purportedly heard saying that she had left home in the morning to meet her lawyer but Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel stopped her and tried to send her back.

"I was shouting that I need to visit my lawyer. I was shouting from the vehicle as well. And then an order came from the top to take me (to my lawyer)," she said.

"All I want is justice," she asserted.

Bhayana claimed that the rape survivor was injured in the melee. She also claimed that the woman is scared for her life.

Reacting to her "ill-treatment", Rahul Gandhi said India is not just becoming a dead economy, but also a dead society.

"Is such treatment of a gang-rape survivor appropriate? Is it her 'fault' that she has the courage to raise her voice for justice? "The fact that her perpetrator (former BJP MLA Sengar) 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," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi on X.

"Bail for rapists and treating survivors like criminals -- what kind of justice is this? We are not just becoming a dead economy -- with such inhuman incidents, we are also turning into a dead society," Gandhi said.

The former Congress chief said 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 asserted.

Later, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi met the rape survivor, who was a minor when the crime was committed against her in 2017, and her mother, and assured them of all their support in her fight for justice.

After her meeting with the Congress leaders, the rape survivor told reporters, "I have asked for justice. I have been wanting to meet the prime minister. Rahulji lauded me for my fight for justice and assured me of help." Claiming that no one from the government has met them, she said, "We will go to the Supreme Court to seek justice and have sought Rahulji's help." "This is the first order of its kind where a sentence has been stopped and bail given. There is fear in the minds of all women that their rapists would be released subsequently. What kind of a government is this?" she asked.

The family has requested the Gandhis for assistance in securing a top legal team to pursue the case against Sengar.

The family members have also requested the two leaders for help in relocating to a Congress-ruled state, citing serious safety concerns and the threat to their lives.

The rape survivor's husband has requested the Gandhis for support in securing a better livelihood.

"Both leaders assured the family that they would do everything within their capacity to ensure justice, security, and dignity for the Unnao victim and her loved ones.

"This meeting reaffirms our continued commitment to justice and accountability," Congress leader Pawan Khera said after the meeting.

Reacting to the high court verdict, the survivor, who was a minor when she was kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017, told PTI over the phone that security for her family members, lawyers and witnesses in the case has already been withdrawn and the court's decision has only deepened her fears.

She also claimed that her mother was thrown in the middle of the road after being removed from India Gate during her protest on Tuesday.

A senior police officer, however, said, "We removed the protesters from the site around 8:45 pm on Tuesday and put them in a CRPF bus. No further action was taken." The Unnao rape case and other connected cases were transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on the Supreme Court's directions in August 2019.

Meanwhile, the mother of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape victim, Asha Devi, extended support to the Unnao rape 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 the society. PTI COR CDN SLB SKC RC