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‘Colluded with Sengar’: Unnao rape victim asks CBI to probe officer
The development came amid growing outrage over the Delhi high court’s recent decision to suspend Sengar’s life sentence
The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case has approached the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the then investigating officer for allegedly being “hand in glove” with the convict, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of the legislative assembly (MLA) Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
The development came amid growing outrage over the Delhi high court’s recent decision to suspend Sengar’s life sentence, which included fresh protests near the Parliament complex and Jantar Mantar on Saturday led by activists and political leaders who were subsequently detained.
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In a six-page complaint to the agency, the survivor alleged that the investigating officer conducted the probe dishonestly and with “mala fides” to help Sengar and other accused secure a favourable outcome through “deliberate lapses and manipulation of facts”.
She alleged the officer used forged school documents in the chargesheet to show her as a student of a government school with a different date of birth, though she never took admission there. The survivor, who was a minor at the time of the rape in 2017, also claimed the officer falsely attributed statements to her and alleged she used a mobile phone belonging to a woman named Heera Singh, which she denied.
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Citing the trial court order which questioned the recording of her statement, she accused the officer of colluding with the accused. During the trial, the CBI had argued that the investigating officer’s claims regarding the mobile phone were “mere opinion” rather than “conclusive proof” and did not prove he was siding with the accused.
The Delhi Police on Saturday detained activist Yogita Bhayana, Congress party leader Mumtaz Patel and several others for protesting near the Parliament complex against the high court’s decision. Police also blocked protesters at Jantar Mantar.
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“Where do we protest? They stopped and detained me and the survivor on the day the judgment came... The survivor didn’t come due to threats. We can’t even hold a protest,” Bhayana told the Hindustan Times. The survivor has also stated in her complaint that she and her family are facing threats from various quarters.
The protest, which started around 4pm, included women holding posters reading “Justice for Daughters of India”. Police said none of the protesters had permission and force was deployed to remove them.
“Was permission taken when the Unnao victim was raped at Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s residence? ... If people in power commit such crimes, how will the morale of ordinary citizens increase?” Bhayana asked.
Patel, who was detained along with members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), said: “We are here not only on the behalf of the Unnao survivor but on behalf of all the women in the country... If a government that says, ‘Beti Bachao’, is not able to do anything much for the heinous crime committed with the Unnao victim and lets powerful people get away, there is a problem with our country.”
Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla did not respond to calls and texts seeking a comment.
Meanwhile, the survivor’s mother said she would approach the Supreme Court against the high court’s order. On Friday, the CBI filed a special leave petition before the top court challenging the Delhi high court’s December 23 order suspending Sengar’s life term.
“How can I trust CBI? I know the investigating officer met Sengar’s daughter. We have met officials but I will wait for what happens in the court,” the mother said.
The survivor added: “Had CBI stood with my lawyer earlier, we wouldn’t have to see this day. We would have won the case. Sengar’s family is now bursting crackers while mine is suffering.”
Despite the relief in the rape case, Sengar will remain in jail as he is serving a separate 10-year term for the custodial death of the survivor’s father.
With inputs from PTI
