Unnao Rape victim, lawyer critically injured in road accident; foul play suspected

The victim of the 2017 Unnao rape case and her lawyer, Advocate Mahendra Singh, have been critically injured following a road accident that occurred yesterday.

Reports suggested that two of the victim’s aunts, who were travelling along with the victim and her lawyer, were killed after a truck collided with their car. The family was on their way to Rae Barelli to visit one of the victim’s uncles, who is lodged in the district jail.

ANI quotes a junior of lawyer Mahendra Singh as saying,

“Victim, her mother, her aunt, and her lawyer were injured in the accident. Victim’s mother and aunt succumbed to injuries; the victim and her lawyer are in critical condition.”

Foul play on the part of BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar – the accused in the rape case – has been alleged by the mother of the victim. Although terming it as a prima facie accident, state police have reportedly revealed that they are willing to allow a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.

Sengar has been in prison since last year. The Allahabad High Court had, in April last year, ordered the arrest of Sengar for raping a 15-year-old girl in 2017. The Court had also directed that the investigation of the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

After the incident took place between June 11-20 of that year, the victim was then sold for Rs. 60,000. She was subsequently recovered at the Maakhi police station. All this while, she was continuously threatened and warned by the police officials to speak as instructed, failing which her father would be killed, as has been directed by Sengar.

Though an FIR was filed on June 20 naming the accused, the police did not include the name of Sengar, who was shown to wield considerable influence over police authorities and doctors in Unnao. The doctor in charge even refused to perform a medical examination on the rape victim.

The prosecutrix had even approached Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with her grievances, and the complaint was forwarded to the Superintendent of Police, Unnao.

After running from pillar to post for justice, an FIR finally came to be recorded Sections 363, 366, 376, 506 IPC and 3/4 of the POCSO Act against Sengar on April 12 this year.

Image courtesy: Aaj Tak