Protests Erupt Over Bail Granted to Unnao Rape Case Convict

Protests Against Bail Decision

Security forces intervened to prevent the complainant in the Unnao rape case and her family from protesting in Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday. This protest was in response to the High Court's decision to grant bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party who was convicted in the case.

On Tuesday, the High Court suspended Sengar's life sentence and imposed a restriction on him from approaching within five kilometers of the complainant's residence.

Following the ruling, the complainant, along with her mother and activist Yogita Bhayana, attempted to demonstrate at India Gate against the bail. However, they were forcibly removed from the site, as shown in videos shared on social media.

They were held at the Kartavya Path police station for about an hour, according to reports from a Media House.

On Wednesday morning, the complainant's mother claimed that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) obstructed their protest at Mandi House.

She reportedly jumped from a moving bus escorted by the CRPF while her daughter remained inside, as per reports.

“We did not receive justice,” the mother expressed. “My daughter is being held captive. It feels like they want to harm us. The CRPF took my daughter and left me on the street.”

She further alleged: “We intended to protest, but the CRPF forcibly took her away. We were heading to Mandi House to demonstrate.”

In December 2019, Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2017 rape of a minor in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.

In March 2020, Sengar and his brother, along with others, received ten years of imprisonment for the murder of the complainant's father while he was in judicial custody.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a video showing the police dragging the complainant away from India Gate, questioning the appropriateness of such treatment towards a survivor of gang rape.

He described the bail granted to Sengar as “extremely disappointing and shameful,” particularly given the ongoing harassment faced by the survivor, who lives in fear.

“Bail for rapists and treating survivors like criminals – what kind of justice is this?” he remarked.

The complainant told a news agency that the High Court's ruling felt like “no less than death” for her.

“If the convict is granted bail in such cases, how can the daughters of this country feel safe?” she questioned.

She also indicated her intention to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court.

As part of his bail conditions, Sengar was required to submit a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh along with three sureties of the same amount, and to report to the police every Monday at 10 am.

Despite this order, he remains incarcerated for the murder of the complainant's father.

When sentencing Sengar to life imprisonment in 2019, the trial court instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation to take necessary measures to safeguard the complainant's life and liberty.

The complainant and her family were placed under the protection of the Central Reserve Police Force following a Supreme Court order in 2019, which acknowledged threats to their lives.

This protective measure was initiated after the complainant and her lawyer suffered serious injuries in a car accident, which her family alleged was orchestrated by Sengar. Tragically, two of her relatives, including a witness in the rape case, lost their lives in the incident.