Unnao: The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case on Saturday issued a heartfelt plea, claiming that she has been subjected to severe mental harassment by supporters of Kuldeep Sengar, the convicted perpetrator in her case. Speaking to the media, she described over a year of constant distress, moving between places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh while being targeted by a smear campaign on social media.

The survivor said she and her husband continue to face public defamation, online threats, and intimidation. “I’ve been wandering for a year. I wandered while living in Delhi, I wandered while living in Uttar Pradesh, and only after my father was killed was an FIR registered. My message to Aishwarya Sengar is that if you’ve been roaming around for eight years, I’ve been suffering and wandering from place to place for more than a year,” she said, referring to the daughter of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar, who recently claimed her father’s innocence on social media.

She alleged that the supporters of Sengar have been harassing her relentlessly, revealing her identity and details online, which she described as a “very serious crime.” She said the pressure has been so intense that she has been “forced to consider suicide” and called for immediate action by the police. “Till the time the police don’t tell me what action they will take against this, I will sit here in protest,” she added.

In a video message circulated publicly, the survivor urged citizens to support her cause. She highlighted a post claiming that a “Kshatriya conference” in support of Sengar would be held at Jantar Mantar on January 11, allegedly organized by his daughters. She said, “I am also a daughter of the Kshatriya community. I am also a daughter of this country. Please become my voice. A criminal has no caste.”

The recent unrest stems from the Delhi High Court’s suspension of Sengar’s life imprisonment in the 2017 rape case. The court noted that Sengar had already served over seven years in prison. The decision sparked nationwide outrage, prompting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. The apex court subsequently stayed the high court’s decision amid public backlash.

The Unnao case had originally drawn massive attention in 2017 after the survivor accused Sengar, then a BJP MLA, of rape, followed by harassment and intimidation. The case gained further prominence after the death of the survivor’s father under suspicious circumstances. Following directions from the Supreme Court, the rape case and related matters were transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi for trial on August 1, 2019.

Sengar also faces a separate appeal related to the custodial death of the survivor’s father, which remains pending in court. The ongoing legal proceedings, combined with continued harassment and defamation, have left the survivor and her family under severe mental strain, underscoring the challenges victims face even after convictions are secured.

The survivor’s public appeal highlights the urgent need for authorities to provide protection, enforce anti-harassment laws effectively, and prevent intimidation of victims and their families, especially in high-profile cases involving powerful individuals.