Unnao rape victim, who accused BJP MLA, critically injured in accident; lawyer, key witness dead

In a new twist to the Unnao gangrape case, in which BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is an accused, the survivor suffered a major accident when a car collided with a truck near the Unnao-Lalganj section of NH 232 area on Sunday. While the victim's lawyer and key witness were killed in the accident, her mother is said to be critical and undergoing treatment at Lucknow Trauma Centre. Though the victim too received serious injuries, police said she is not admitted to the Lucknow hospital.

At about 12:30 pm on Sunday noon, the Unnao rape survivor, her lawyer Mahendra Singh, mother and aunt were going to meet her uncle Mahesh Singh, who is currently lodged in Rae Bareli jail. On their way to Rae Bareli they met the deadly accident and the situation took a turn for the worst.

READ | Unnao Gangrape: BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar charge-sheeted by CBI

The incident comes nearly two weeks after the Allahabad High Court on July 18 rejected the bail plea of accused Shashi Singh, an accomplice of MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, saying that the survivor has named her in the recorded statement.

Singh had pleaded that at the time of the alleged rape the MLA was about 50 km away from the scene and also her presence was not proved and, therefore, she should be granted bail.

Opposing the plea, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel submitted that at this stage the statement of the survivor was sufficient to reject her plea. A woman belonging to the Makhi police station area in Unnao had also alleged that Sengar raped her teenage daughter at his residence in 2017.

READ | Union Cabinet approves death penalty for rapists of children below 12 years

The case that grabbed national headlines in early 2018, had come to the light after the victim on April 8, attempted self-immolation outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence, alleging apathy on a part of police in registering a case against the BJP legislator. Days after, the victim's father died in prison after allegedly beaten up by the BJP MLA's men.

However, Sengar, a four-time MLA, who represented the  Bangermau seat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, was arrested on April 13 last year, following widespread protests over the rape of the then 16-year-old across the country.