In Unnao rape survivor's village, locals fear Kuldeep Sengar's henchmen
What's the story
A powerful lawmaker raped a girl, her father died in police custody, she met with an accident and is now critical. This might seem like a scene from a gangster flick, but, unfortunately, it isn't.
The aforementioned events happened with the Unnao rape survivor who was assaulted by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
And now, residents of her village say they are also scared.
The case
Background: Raped in 2017, victim was ignored by police
In 2017, Sengar allegedly raped her, and for months she moved from pillar to post.
Only after she attempted self-immolation outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in April 2018, that the police paid attention to her complaints.
But instead of acting against Sengar, police locked up the victim's father. He died in custody.
After outrage, CBI took over the case and Sengar was arrested.
Accident
Two days ago, victim met with deadly accident
On Sunday, the victim met with an accident in Raebareli, while she was en-route to meet her jailed uncle.
Her car collided with a truck, which had its number plate smeared in black. Two of her aunts died and her lawyer got seriously injured.
The victim's family accused Sengar of planning the accident and said they had been threatened in the past too.
Mood
Residents of village spoke about a "saazish"
Incidentally, the family isn't the only one who thinks Sengar is involved. The residents of the village, which ensconces both the victim and Sengar's homes, feel the same.
A couple of villagers, who spoke to Indian Express, claimed things between Sengar and the victim's family are "far from over".
They talked of a conspiracy in hushed voices, as they fear Sengar's henchmen.
Quote
Sengar's henchmen go an extra mile, said victim's neighbor
"We know that things will not end here. They will be worse that is why none wants to speak about it. The worst are his chelas (henchmen), who have nothing else to do and are ready to go the extra mile," the victim's neighbor said.
Statement
Certainly looks like a conspiracy: Victim's cousin
The woman's cousin also said whatever happened reeks of conspiracy. "The number plate on that truck was also painted...hard to say what happened there but there certainly appears to be a conspiracy," she said.
Meanwhile, the survivor's mother has demanded a CBI investigation into the accident.
More determined to fight for justice, she said she is "willing to die for it" too.
Quote
Her mother said Sengar's aides threatened them
"Some of Sengar's associates, including a relative, from the village, threatened that if they can send my brother-in-law (whose complaint led to the FIR against Sengar after the accident) to jail then they will also ensure punishment for all of us," her mother added.
Details
Meanwhile, family of the lawyer raised questions on truck's number
Notably, the injured lawyer, Mahendra Singh, doesn't live far from the victim's house. Apparently, only his wife knew that he was driving out of the village.
"The job of a lawyer is advocacy. If there is no conspiracy then why was the truck's number plate blacked out?" his mother asked.
She revealed she didn't want him to take up the controversial case.
Security
Further, family alleged security personnel informed Sengar about victim's whereabouts
Dismissing all allegations leveled by survivor's family, Sengar's wife Sangeeta said her husband was serving time despite being "innocent". However, the victim's uncle, on whose complaint the FIR was registered, said Sengar knew about her movements.
He alleged the security, tasked with "protecting" the victim, kept Sengar informed about her whereabouts.
To note, none of the security personnel were with her on Sunday.
Sack Sengar
Allegedly, Sengar called victim's family from prison
This isn't it. The FIR also notes that Sengar allegedly called the victim's family from inside the prison, pressurizing them to change their statements in the rape case if they "wanted to live".
Her family said the threats increased in the last couple of months after Allahabad High Court rejected a bail plea of a co-accused in the rape case.
Personal
What's stopping BJP from sacking Sengar?
Despite multiple threats, the victim's family wasn't given protection by Adityanath's government. Far from taking action against him, BJP has still not sacked Sengar. The saffron party must know history won't be kind to it if the victim is denied justice.