‘Bail for rapists, survivors treated like criminals’: Rahul Gandhi on Unnao case

Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday condemned the alleged ill-treatment of the Unnao rape survivor, who has been protesting in Delhi against the bail granted to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, calling the developments in the case deeply disturbing.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi questioned whether it was appropriate to treat a gang rape survivor in such a manner and asked if raising her voice for justice should be considered her fault. He described the grant of bail to Sengar as disappointing and shameful, especially when the survivor continues to live under fear and alleged harassment.

Rahul Gandhi said granting bail to those accused of rape while treating survivors like criminals raises serious questions about the justice system. He added that in a democracy, expressing dissent is a right and suppressing it amounts to a crime. The survivor, he said, deserves respect, safety and justice rather than fear, helplessness and injustice.

The remarks came after the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar’s jail sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case. The survivor and her mother staged a protest near Mandi House in Delhi, terming the court’s decision “death” for their family and announcing plans to approach the Supreme Court.

The High Court, while granting bail, directed that Sengar must not come within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence or threaten her or her mother, warning that any violation would lead to automatic cancellation of bail.

Sengar, however, will remain in jail as he is also serving a separate 10-year sentence in connection with the custodial death of the survivor’s father and has not been granted bail in that case. The survivor was a minor when she was allegedly kidnapped and raped in 2017.