Letter urges CJI to take suo moto cognizance of death of woman allegedly raped by BSP MP Atul Rai

In the Facebook live video, the girl had alleged that false charges were being levelled against her, she was being threatened with gang rape, everyone including judges and IPS officers were involved in harassing her and were in favour of MP Atul Rai.

New Delhi: Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana, requesting him to take suo moto cognizance of the death of a woman who had set herself on fire outside the top court's gate alleging that she had been raped by Bahujan Samaj Party MP Atul Rai and now she was being harassed and targetted for fighting her case.

"Before setting herself on fire, the said rape victim had recorded a Facebook live video wherein she had reportedly said that she had lodged a rape case against BSP Member of Parliament Atul Rai and further alleged that few senior IPS officers and a judge from Uttar Pradesh were part of nexus," read the letter.

As per the letter, Rai had raped the woman in Varanasi on March 7, 2018, filmed the assault and threatened to circulate it on social media. Later on, an FIR was lodged and the trial was going on.

In November 2020, Rai's brother had filed a complaint against the victim and a non-bailable warrant was issued against her after the police said that she was untraceable.

In the Facebook live video, the girl had alleged that false charges were being levelled against her, she was being threatened with gang rape, everyone including judges and IPS officers were involved in harassing her and were in favour of Rai.

In the live video, she and one more man could be seen setting themselves on fire outside the D gate of the Supreme Court. They were rushed to the hospital where the doctors said that they had serious burns. Later on, they both succumbed to their injuries.