The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi government to inform it within two weeks whether there is any threat perception to the mother and family members of the 2017 Unnao rape victim.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P.B. Varale passed the direction while hearing a plea filed by the victim’s mother, who has alleged grave threat to the life and liberty of herself and her immediate family members. The bench directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit on the issue within two weeks.
The petitioner has sought recall of the apex court’s March 25 order, which removed the CRPF security cover provided to the family members and other witnesses in the case.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to withdraw the CRPF protection granted to the victim herself, citing a continuing perception of threat. However, it had removed the same protection for her family members and other witnesses, observing that the case had already resulted in conviction.
“We are of the opinion that protection granted by this court to the concerned persons at the relevant time may not be continued as the case has resulted in conviction who is awarded life imprisonment. However, we make it clear that the CRPF cover for the victim shall continue till further orders of this court,” the bench had then said.
The court had also noted that the family members and other witnesses would be free to approach local police authorities if they felt any threat.
The issue of security stems from a plea moved by the Centre in 2019, seeking the withdrawal of CRPF cover for the family after the court’s earlier protection order.
Expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar is currently serving a life sentence for raping the minor girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao in 2017. On August 1, 2019, the Supreme Court had directed that the victim, her mother, other family members, and their lawyer be provided CRPF security. All five cases related to the incident were transferred from Lucknow to Delhi, with instructions to conduct daily trials and complete them within 45 days. The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to the victim.
Sengar’s appeal against the trial court’s verdict is pending before the Delhi High Court. He has challenged the December 2019 judgment sentencing him to imprisonment for the remainder of his life.
On March 13, 2020, he was also sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment in connection with the custodial death of the victim’s father, who had been arrested under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018. The trial court held the accused guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 IPC, noting the absence of intention to kill.
