‘But her home…’: UP minister stirs controversy over Unnao rape survivor being removed from protest site

Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Wednesday stirred controversy after he spoke about the forcible removal of the Unnao rape survivor and her family members from a protest that they had staged.

The family was removed from the protest site after a Delhi High Court suspended the sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 rape case.

When asked about the survivor being taken away from the protest location, the minister remarked, “But her home is in Unnao,” and laughed, a response that quickly drew sharp reactions.

His comments came shortly after the survivor publicly spoke about the emotional distress she experienced following the incident.

“I wanted to kill myself then and there, but I stopped after thinking about my family,” she said.

The survivor also described the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend Sengar’s sentence as “kaal (death)” for her family and said she would move the Supreme Court to challenge the order.

Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar’s life sentence in the kidnapping and rape case and granted him bail while his appeal against a 2019 trial court conviction remains pending.

The court, while granting relief, laid down stringent conditions, including directing Sengar to stay at least five kilometres away from the survivor’s residence and refrain from threatening or attempting to influence the survivor or her mother. The court warned that any breach would result in the immediate cancellation of bail.

Despite the relief in the rape case, Sengar will continue to remain incarcerated as he is serving a separate 10-year prison term in another case and has not been granted bail in that matter.

Reacting to the high court’s decision, the survivor, who was a minor at the time of the crime, said the withdrawal of security cover for her family members, legal team and witnesses had intensified her fears following the verdict.

“If the convict gets bail in a case like this, how will the country’s daughters remain safe? For us, this decision is no less than kaal (death),” she told PTI.

She further said, “Those with money win, those without money lose,” underscoring her concern over the impact of the court’s order.

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