Unnao Rape Case Survivor Appeals For Public Support Amid Online Smear Campaign

The survivor of the Unnao rape case has made an emotional appeal on social media seeking wider public support, urging people to rise above caste considerations amid what she described as a coordinated smear campaign against her and her husband online, according to PTI.

Her appeal comes days after the daughter of expelled BJP leader and rape convict Kuldeep Sengar posted on X claiming her father was innocent and asked the public to support him. The case has returned to public focus following a Delhi High Court order suspending Sengar’s sentence, citing that he had already served seven years and five months in prison. After strong public reaction, the CBI challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which subsequently stayed the high court’s decision, PTI reported.

In a video message shared recently, the survivor said she and her husband had been targeted over the past two days by social media users who identified themselves as Sengar’s supporters. She alleged that posts were being circulated claiming that a ‘Kshatriya conference’ in support of Sengar had been called at Jantar Mantar on January 11 by his daughters.

“I am also a daughter of the Kshatriya community. I am also a daughter of this country. Please become my voice. A criminal has no caste,” the survivor said in the video message.

Reaffirming her faith in the justice system, she appealed to society to stand with her in the fight for justice rather than extending support to a convicted offender, according to PTI.

The Unnao rape case had triggered nationwide outrage in 2017 after the survivor accused then BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar of rape and later alleged intimidation and harassment. The case drew sustained attention following the death of her father. On August 1, 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the rape case and other connected matters from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

Sengar’s appeal against his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father is also pending. In that matter, he has sought suspension of his sentence on the ground that he has already spent a substantial period in jail.

In its plea before the Supreme Court, the CBI referred to an earlier verdict in the L K Advani case, arguing that anyone holding public office, including MPs and MLAs, would be considered a ‘public servant’. The agency contended that the high court erred in holding that Sengar, who was an MLA at the time of the offence, was not a ‘public servant’ for the purpose of prosecution under the POCSO Act and in granting him bail, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)