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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BJP-JD(S) like milk-honey, alliance strong, intact: Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Udupi: Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka on Sunday said the alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) remains strong and intact, and that no one should attempt to create differences between the two parties.
Speaking at a press conference held at a resort in Kapu, Ashoka described the BJP–JD(S) partnership as being “like milk and honey” and said the two parties would contest upcoming elections as directed by their central leadership. He said decisions on the future course of the alliance would be taken by senior leaders, including H. D. Kumaraswamy, H. D. Deve Gowda, and top leaders of the BJP.
Responding to questions on differing statements made by BJP state president B. Y. Vijayendra and Deve Gowda on contesting future elections, Ashoka said the BJP and JD(S) are partners within the NDA and that the alliance has already been announced at the national level by the party leadership, including the Prime Minister. He said there is currently no disagreement between the two parties and that the coordination with JD(S) would continue, just as it did successfully during the Lok Sabha elections.
Ashoka made it clear that the BJP is not attempting to bring down the present state government. “We are not in a mindset to topple the government. We have already seen the consequences of such actions once,” he said.
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He further claimed that if Assembly elections are held, the BJP–JD(S) alliance would secure more than 170 seats in Karnataka, similar to the strong mandates seen in states like Telangana and Bihar.
When asked about Deve Gowda’s statement that the JD(S) may contest local body elections independently, Ashoka said Deve Gowda is a senior leader whose words carry weight, but stressed that the final decision would be taken by the NDA coordination committee. “Whatever opinions are expressed, the coordination committee’s decision will be final,” he said.
On Vijayendra’s earlier remark about the BJP winning 140 seats on its own strength, Ashoka said the state president had already clarified that the statement reflected the sentiments of party workers and not an official position. “The decision to go together is a collective one,” he added.
Ashoka also addressed questions about the BJP state president’s post, saying the party follows a democratic process with organisational elections held every three years. He said Vijayendra was nominated by the central leadership and that the decision to continue or replace him rests with the national leadership. “There is no confusion on this issue. The decision will be taken by the party high command after January,” he said.
The press conference was attended by Kapu MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, former MLA Lalaji Mendon, and BJP leaders Kutyaru Naveen Shetty, Reshma Uday Shetty, Kalya Divakar Shetty, Srikant Naik and others.
