New Delhi [India], December 25 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Unnao victim and her family, who have been protesting against the court granting bail to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, and assured the family that they would do everything within their capacity to ensure justice, security, and dignity for the victim and her loved ones.
The family requested assistance in securing a top legal team to pursue the case against Sengar, whose life sentence has been suspended. They also requested assistance in relocating to a Congress-ruled state.
Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present during the meeting.
"Leader of the Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi met the Unnao victim and her family, who continue to be denied justice under the BJP's watch. The family requested assistance in securing a top legal team to pursue the case against her perpetrator, former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, whose life sentence has been suspended despite the heinous nature of his crimes," Congress leader Pawan Khera said in a post on X.
"The family also requested assistance in relocating to a Congress-ruled state, citing serious concerns for their safety and the threat to their lives. The victim's husband requested support in securing a better livelihood. Both leaders assured the family that they would do everything within their capacity to ensure justice, security, and dignity for the Unnao victim and her loved ones," he added.
Speaking to reporters, the victim said that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi promised to help her pursue justice.
"They assured us that they would help us get justice. This is the first time in the country that a rape accused is going to be released on bail. I want time to meet the Prime Minister and the President. Rahul Gandhi has given us a lot of strength and assured us that we will get justice... This order has weakened the daughters of the country," the rape victim said.
She said both the Congress leaders had tears in their eyes.
"Both of them had tears in their eyes. They assured us that they would help us get justice. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were crying after hearing me.
Advocate Mehmood Pracha said that the victim and her family remain under threat.
"The victim and her family are still under threat... This bail, or suspension of sentence, that has been granted, is a complete perversion of the law. What kind of logic is this?... Why is he deserving of mercy?... It is the duty of all citizens to pass judgment on this... Is this man still deserving of mercy even after all he did, when he continued to orchestrate attacks on her?... What will be the implication of this?" he asked.
"He had her father killed by the police SHO... So being inside or outside a five-kilometre radius makes no difference... The central government is opposing us with all its might, both in and out of court... The Uttar Pradesh government is also opposing us with all its might, hiring top lawyers to argue for the withdrawal of his security and to build a case against him... Given these circumstances, we need time to prepare properly. We don't want to go into this fight unprepared... But if the public raises its voice, then I have some hope that justice will prevail. However, I have very little hope from the Supreme Court," he added.
The mother of the 2017 Unnao rape case victim earlier protested over the bail given to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the case and also expressed her anguish over the security personnel "taking her daughters" in a vehicle.
The mother of the victim, who was dropped on a road while they were being taken in a bus, repeatedly said they want justice and Sengar's bail should be cancelled.
She said that she has hope that the Supreme Court would cancel the bail granted to Sengar by the Delhi High Court.
She also said that they will not go home till they get justice.
"We did not get justice... They are taking my daughter away as a captive... These security personnel want to kill us all. They took my daughters away in a CRPF vehicle... Kuldeep Sengar's bail should be cancelled; otherwise, we will give up our lives... Otherwise, we will be killed, we are not safe," the mother of the victim told reporters.
Activist Yogita Bhayana, who has been with the family during their protest, slammed the action of the security forces.
"Is this justice? The victim's mother was thrown onto the street. She's (the daughter) crying and calling us... Is this a country or a banana land?... She's (victim) all alone on the bus... They're driving her around in circles," she said.
The victim's family had on Tuesday held a protest hours after the court granted bail to Sengar.
The victim, her mother, and Yogitha Bhayana held a protest at India Gate on Tuesday.
The victim, while sitting on the India Gate premises, alleged that bail was granted due to the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh in 2027.
"I heard the judgment, and I felt very bad. I wanted to kill myself then and there, but I stopped after thinking about my family. Injustice has been done to us. Elections are coming, and he has been released on bail so that his wife can contest the polls. If such a rape accused will come out, how will we be safe?" the victim told ANI.
The victim also called for the bail to be cancelled.
"Everyone has become unsafe. His bail should be cancelled, and he should be sent to jail. We will go to the Supreme Court. I have faith in the Supreme Court. We are scared that he has been released," she said. Delhi Police officials also removed the victim, her mother, and women's activist Yogita Bhayana from the site of the protest.
Visuals from the area showed the family forcefully being carried to a bus, while they urged police to allow them to protest.
Bhayana highlighted that the victim and her family have been alone in their ordeal, and questioned the grounds on which Sengar was given bail.
"They have faced a lot of difficulties from the beginning... What has happened today that the accused was given bail?... Rapits are getting bail, and innocents are being kept in jail. No one is standing with them today. They are under threat after he has been released on bail," she told ANI.
The victim's sister has opposed the bail order, saying that her family, including her brother, are being threatened by men who are roaming around her house.
"I'm not happy about this. He killed my uncle and then my father. Then this incident happened with my sister. He has been released, but we're still in danger. Who knows, now that they're out, they might kill my entire family. If they've released him, then they should put us in jail. At least our lives would be safe there. We would be alive," the victim's sister said.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape case.
A Delhi CBI court convicted him in a minor's rape case, and he was serving a life sentence.
His appeal against the judgment is pending before the Delhi High Court.
Division Bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar suspended the sentence during the pendency of his appeal.
He has been granted relief on the condition that he furnish a bail bond of Rs. 15 lakh.
However, he will remain in custody as he has not yet been granted bail in the victim's father's custodial death matter. An appeal and application for suspension of sentence is pending before the High Court of Delhi. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail in that case.