Unnao rape case: Delhi court convicts ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar
What's the story
More than two years after she was assaulted, the Unnao rape survivor has finally got some relief.
Today, Delhi's Tis Hazari court convicted ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced tomorrow, with the maximum possible punishment being life imprisonment.
Sengar, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail, was convicted under IPC Section 376 (rape) and Sections 5(c) and 6 of POCSO Act.
The case
Backstory: Survivor was raped but police 'arrested' her father
Her story is gut-wrenching, to say the least.
The survivor was a minor when Sengar, an influential politician, raped her.
She had to attempt self-immolation outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath's residence forcing cops to take cognizance of her complaints.
Outrageous as it sounds, police arrested her father who died in custody.
After media outrage, CBI took over the investigation and arrested Sengar.
Accident
This July, the victim met with deadly car crash
However, the victim's ordeal didn't end with Sengar's arrest. Despite being in jail, his clout ensured she remains troubled.
This July, she met with a deadly car crash. While two of her aunts died, the victim and her lawyer were grievously injured.
After initially undergoing treatment in Lucknow, she was airlifted to Delhi's AIIMS.
Meanwhile, her family claimed Sengar orchestrated the accident.
Evidence
So, what did CBI conclude about the case?
Further, after their investigation, the CBI concluded the victim's story was true. In August, the top probing agency said the victim was taken to Sengar's residence on June 4, 2017, by the MLA's accomplice Shashi Singh. Sengar forcefully took her to a room and raped her.
A week later, three men, namely Naresh Tiwari, Brijesh Yadav Singh, and Shubham Singh, also raped her.
BJP's stand
From Supreme Court to ruling party, everyone failed her
The Unnao rape case showed justice never comes easy for victims and even courts don't pay attention to their pleas.
While BJP expelled Sengar from the party only after the accident, SC ignored her pleas too.
She had written a letter to former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi apprising him about the threats she had been receiving, but in vain.