UP: Warrant Against Unnao Rape Victim at Behest of an Accused, Age Questioned

The victim has sought help of Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal in the case.

An accused in the 2017 Unnao rape case has got a non-bailable warrant issued by a court in Uttar Pradesh against the rape survivor, questioning her age.

The survivor, on the other hand, sought help from Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal to fight the case.

Maliwal said that she was working on getting the case transferred from UP to Delhi.

Taking to Twitter, she said, "The Unnao rape victim was raped by Kuldeep Sengar and his associates. A rape accused has now got an arrest warrant out against the victim from a UP court. We are helping the victim in her legal battle, going to court to get the case transferred to Delhi."

उन्नाव रेप पीड़िता के साथ कुलदीप सेंगर और उसके साथियों ने बलात्कार किया था। बलात्कार के एक आरोपी ने अब पीड़िता के ही खिलाफ यूपी के कोर्ट से अरेस्ट वारंट निकलवा दिया है। हम पीड़िता की कानूनी लड़ाई में मदद कर रहे हैं, केस दिल्ली ट्रांसफर करवाने के लिए कोर्ट जा रहे हैं।

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 10, 2022

The main accused in the case, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, is already in prison.

'Misuse of Legal Process To Intimidate Survivor'

Meanwhile, the survivor said that she was "distraught at the continued harassment she had been made to face just for speaking out the truth."

"My life was destroyed and slowly and gradually, I am trying to rebuild it. Travelling to Unnao means putting my life at risk again as I am fighting people who enjoy political patronage and clout. I seek legal support from the commission to ensure that all cases against me are transferred to Delhi. I know justice will prevail and I will fight all matters, but not in Unnao. I want to fight my cases in Delhi, ” she added.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, who will be aiding the survivor in the legal process, argued that the non-bailable warrant would "set the clock back on the relocation of the victim and her family and undo all the protection and safeguards ordered by various courts."

"It will drag her back to Unnao even while her evidence against Shubham Singh has not been concluded in the trial in Delhi in the gang-rape case. Such machinations to misuse the legal process to intimidate the survivor and derail the ongoing trial in the gang-rape case must not be permitted. I will provide legal support to the survivor and we will assist her in accessing and securing justice," Grover added.