Unnao survivor's mother manhandled, blocked from Delhi protest
Unnao survivor's mother manhandled, blocked from Delhi protest
The Unnao rape survivor and her mother were stopped from addressing the media by paramilitary personnel in Delhi.
The two had been protesting against the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend the jail term of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was convicted of raping the survivor, NDTV reported.
The High Court has suspended Sengar's life sentence, while imposing several conditions, until his appeal against his conviction is decided.
Protesters detained, denied permission for media address
The survivor, her mother, and lawyer-activist Yogita Bhayana were detained at India Gate on Tuesday night.
They had planned to address the media at Mandi House on Wednesday morning, but were stopped by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
A CRPF officer was quoted as saying that they weren't allowed to protest at Mandi House or India Gate. Instead, they were to be taken to Jantar Mantar or back home.
Survivor's mother forced to jump from moving bus
In a shocking turn of events, CRPF personnel allegedly pushed her to jump off the bus, which didn't have any women personnel on board despite carrying two women.
The mother eventually jumped off and told their ordeal to reporters.
"We did not get justice. My daughter has been held captive. It seems they want to kill us. CRPF men took the girl and dropped me on the road," she said.
Survivor's father died in police custody
The survivor was raped by Sengar in June 2017 when she was a minor. After the incident, her father, who was initially framed in the case, died in police custody, with Sengar being expelled from the BJP.
In 2019, Sengar was convicted of raping a minor and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was also convicted for his role in the custodial death of the survivor's father.
Survivor plans to challenge court's decision in Supreme Court
The survivor has vowed to challenge the Delhi High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.
She questioned how such a relief could be granted, especially with the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls.
"An emergency hearing should be held," she said, adding that Sengar has money and power to influence outcomes while they continue to suffer.
Delhi High Court grants conditional bail to Sengar
The High Court granted Sengar conditional bail on Tuesday, suspending his life sentence pending appeal.
The court found that under the pre-2019 POCSO Act, an MLA isn't a "public servant" or person in "position of trust," reducing the minimum sentence to seven years.
Sengar has already served over seven years in prison.
Conditions for his release include a ₹15 lakh personal bond, staying only in Delhi, no entry within 5km of the survivor's home, passport surrender, and weekly police reporting.