Unnao rape case: Victim claims harassment by PSOs, moves court

The victim in the 2017 Unnao rape case has moved a Delhi court, alleging harassment by her personal security officers (PSOs) who had been deputed on the directions of the Supreme Court.

In 2017, the minor had accused expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape, for which he was awarded life-term imprisonment.

On July 31, District and Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma directed the investigating officer of the CBI, the agency probing the case, to submit an impact assessment report over the allegations by the victim with assistance of the local police.

He further said that a sealed envelope was also received from the police in which certain allegations were levelled against the complainant and her family members. “It is directed that this application be taken up for consideration,” the judge said.

The lawyers for the victim, in their application before the court, stated that “her personal security officers were vindictive to her and her family members”.

“In the name of security, concerned police/security officials are bent on curtailing the movements/ personal liberty of the victim due to reasons best known to them, to such an extent that she is not even allowed to meet her counsel and to come to the court,” the application stated.

Her lawyers argued that because of this, the “prosecutrix is not able to pursue her case effectively in a democratic way, in terms of her fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution against the accused persons, who are bent on ruining the life of her family members”.

The court also upheld the investigation conducted by the CBI, which had ruled out any foul play in the victim’s 2019 accident.

The minor and her family were travelling in a car when it was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli, killing two of the girl’s aunts and leaving her and her advocate critically injured. The girl and her family had subsequently alleged foul play, and a murder case was filed against Sengar. However, the CBI had concluded that there was no evidence regarding criminal conspiracy hatched between Sengar and his associates, and those involved in the accident.

Upholding the CBI’s conclusion, Judge Sharma said: “no hesitation in holding the findings of the CBI in the final report / charge sheet that there is no case against the accused persons so as to take cognizance and proceed against them under Section 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) read with Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), cannot be faulted”.

With PTI inputs