At AIIMS, Special Judge holds hearing to record Unnao rape survivor’s statement

The Unnao rape survivor was air-lifted from Lucknow hospital to AIIMS in the national capital for treatment of injuries during a road accident in Uttar Pradesh.

Special Judge Dharmesh Sharma has reached the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to hold court proceedings to record the statement of the rape survivor who had accused lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape in 2017. The expelled BJP legislator represents Bangarmau in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar(PTI file photo)

The rape survivor was air-lifted from Lucknow hospital to AIIMS in the national capital for treatment of injuries during a road accident in Uttar Pradesh. Her family alleged Kuldeep Singh Sengar was behind the road accident in Rae Bareli that killed two of her aunts and injured the woman and her lawyer.

Last week, the Delhi High Court issued a formal order allowing special judge Dharmesh Sharma to hold court to record “the testimony of the victim in the premises/building of trauma centre of AIIMS in addition to the Tis Hazari District Court Complex during trial of the cases”.

Watch | Unnao rape: Tragic timeline of how a woman was let down by the system 

News agency PTI said Sengar, who is a key accused in the 2017 Unnao rape case, was also brought to the temporary court along with co-accused Shashi Singh for the proceedings.

Sengar was expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party last month after the Supreme Court took up a petition demanding a CBI probe into the road accident. Sengar faces charges of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and rape under the penal code and a special law to deal with sexual offences against children.

The Supreme Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to carry out a quick probe into the road accident and shifted the trial of the rape case from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

The road accident had put the spotlight back on the survivor’s family which, it turned out, had written 36 letters to top government officials, politicians and police officers to seek protection and help. Most of them were to seek protection from the four-time legislator, who was then considered an influential leader within the BJP.