- Unnao rape survivor thanks Supreme Court for staying High Court verdict on Kuldeep Singh Sengar case
- She vows to continue fighting for justice for her murdered father until capital punishment is given
- She criticizes supporters of Sengar for damaging their party's reputation and harming women's safety
The woman from Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, who was raped by former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, today thanked the Supreme Court for staying the Delhi High Court's verdict that suspended the convicted man's life sentence.
She told NDTV she will continue her fight for justice for herself and her murdered father till all the men behind the crime get capital punishment.
"I want to thank the Supreme Court, the public, the media, and the women who fought with me. It was a collective win," she said.
"I have been fighting for the last 10 years and I will keep fighting and not rest till I get justice for the murder of my father. I will make sure the rapists are given capital punishment," she added.
On her request to the government for a security cover, she said it would help her family have peace of mind to fight the case.
"My strength is the public, the media and society at large, who are with me," she said.
After the Delhi High Court verdict, the survivor and others had gathered for a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where a brief confrontation occurred when a group led by a woman supporting Sengar clashed with them.
Referring to that incident, the survivor told NDTV today that all she can say is that supporting people like Sengar means soiling the reputation of their own political party.
"Whoever supports this politician, I only want to say to the Prime Minister that men like him are dragging down the name of your party. And women who behave like that are the ones who later face rape threats. No women were there when it happened with me. How does anyone know what happened to me? I was there, Kuldeep was there."
She said her faith in the Supreme Court is strong. "I know the Supreme Court will support me in my fight for justice," she added.
Sengar was convicted in December 2019 in the Unnao rape case and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh. He is also in jail on a 10-year sentence in a separate case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) related to murder.
The Unnao survivor lost her entire family while fighting for justice. While her father was allegedly murdered, many of her relatives died in an accident that she said was deliberate.
