Unnao rape case: Victim’s lawyer says SC order only limited relief not victory to survivor
New Delhi: Mehmood Pracha, counsel for the Unnao rape survivor, on Monday said the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar has given the victim only temporary relief and does not address deeper concerns in the case.
Reacting to the interim order passed by the Supreme Court of India, Pracha said the development should not be seen as a victory. “I can assure the victim that we have got a small relief. This should not be called a victory, but it gives us a little time to breathe,” he said.
Pracha criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation for what he described as a limited and inadequate presentation of arguments before the apex court. He alleged that the agency did not consult the survivor’s legal team and failed to place the strongest grounds supporting the victim. “There is substantial evidence in favour of the survivor, but the CBI did not raise the most important aspects of the case,” he said.
He also pointed out that the Supreme Court, while staying the High Court’s order, did not go into the core merits of the matter. “The court has not examined the main issues. What was discussed was only the tip of the iceberg,” Pracha said, adding that the survivor’s legal team was not made a party to the proceedings.
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Expressing anguish over the survivor’s continued vulnerability, Pracha questioned whether the stay order truly translated into meaningful relief. He said the survivor remains under heavy security and lives in constant fear. “Do you expect me to be happy when the survivor is under CRPF protection and I cannot even speak to her freely about the order?” he asked.
The Supreme Court, while hearing the CBI’s plea against the Delhi High Court’s December 23 order, stayed the suspension of Sengar’s life sentence and directed that he should not be released from custody. The bench noted that Sengar is already serving a sentence in another criminal case and sought his response within two weeks.
Sengar was convicted in December 2019 for the rape of a minor in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district and sentenced to life imprisonment. Although the High Court had granted him bail in the rape case, he continues to remain in jail in connection with a separate case linked to the death of the survivor’s father.
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People wrongly accuse me of appeasement; I am secular in true sense: Mamata
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday rejected allegations of indulging in appeasement, asserting that she is "secular in the true sense" and participates in programmes across faiths without discrimination.
She was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of ‘Durga Angan’, a cultural complex dedicated to Goddess Durga, at New Town in Kolkata.
“People accuse me of indulging in appeasement, but it is not correct. I am secular in the true sense,” she said, adding that she attends programmes of all religions.
The Trinamool Congress chief did not identify the accuser, but the opposition BJP often charges her with appeasing the Muslims.
“You do not say anything when I visit a gurdwara, but start criticising me when I attend an Eid programme,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee also flagged concerns over the ongoing SIR process, alleging harassment of people and loss of lives.
“People are being harassed unnecessarily. Over 50 lives have been lost within a month during the SIR process,” she claimed.
“We will continue fighting to protect the democratic rights of people and are ready to lay down our lives for that,” Banerjee said.
