The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case on Saturday appealed for public support, saying she feels threatened after the daughters of the convicted former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and their supporters allegedly exposed her identity on social media.
In a video message, she said her identity has been widely circulated across platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, over the past several days. “Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s two daughters and their supporters are exposing my identity everywhere – on Facebook, Instagram, everywhere,” she said, adding that the online campaign has left her fearful and vulnerable.
Sengar, once a powerful legislator in Uttar Pradesh, was convicted in December 2019 for the rape of a minor and sentenced to life imprisonment. The survivor’s appeal comes amid renewed debate following recent court proceedings and online activity by Sengar’s family.
On January 1, she had urged people to support her beyond caste lines, saying that she and her husband have been targeted by a sustained smear campaign on social media. Responding to posts by one of Sengar’s daughters claiming his innocence and seeking public support, the survivor said in her video, “I am also a daughter of this country. Please become my voice. A criminal has no caste.”
The Supreme Court had earlier intervened on December 29, staying a Delhi High Court order that had suspended Sengar’s life sentence and granted him bail. The apex court ruled that Sengar would remain in custody while hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea challenging the high court’s December 23 order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described the crime as a “horrific rape” of a minor and noted that Sengar was a powerful MLA at the time. “We are answerable to the child who was 15 years and 10 months old,” Mehta told the court.
The Delhi High Court had justified its bail order by noting that Sengar had already served over seven years in prison and raised questions about whether an elected representative qualifies as a “public servant” under the Indian Penal Code for the POCSO Act. The order had sparked protests by the survivor, her family, and rights activists.
The survivor and her mother welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention and vowed to continue their legal fight, stating they will pursue justice “until he is hanged.”
