On July 31, the survivor in the 2017 Unnao rape case, moved to a Session Court in Delhi alleging harassment by her personal security officers (PSOs) who were deputed on earlier directions of the Supreme Court, reported The Indian Express.
In 2019, after more than two years from the time the survivor had filed an FIR, former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Sengar was convicted in the case for raping the survivor when she was a minor.
In its petition, the survivor’s lawyer said that the personal security officers were ‘vindictive’ towards the survivor 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 read.
The survivor’s lawyers argued that because of the harassment by the SPOs, the survivor was unable to pursue her case effectively in a democratic way against the officers, ‘who are bent on ruining the life of her family members.’
Dharmesh Sharma, the district and Sessions Court judge has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit an impact assessment report with the assistance of the local police on the allegations.
The judge further said that a sealed envelope was also received from the police where the police have made certain allegations against the survivor and her family members. ‘It is directed that this application be taken up for consideration,’ he added.
Additionally, the Delhi Court upheld the investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in which the Bureau has ruled out any foul play on the part of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape survivor’s accident in 2019.
Read More: Unnao Rape Case: Sengar Given Clean Chit by Court in Survivor’s Car Crash Case
In 2019, in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, an overspeeding truck had hit the car in which the rape survivor, her family, and lawyer were traveling. The accident killed two of the survivor’s aunts and left her and the advocate critically injured. An FIR was registered against Sengar and others for homicide.
