Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh): The woman from Unnao, who had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of raping her in 2017, was severely injured while her two aunts were killed after their car collided with a truck near Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Unnao rape survivor injured in car accident; lawyer, key witness dead Police said the car’s front portion was badly damaged due to the impact of the crash. There were four occupants in the car at the time of the accident – the rape victim, her two aunts, and her lawyer Mahendra Singh.
Police are investigating the case while treating it as both an accident and a conspiracy to murder.
The incident took place when the victim was travelling to Raebareli. The truck driver has been arrested and is being questioned.
While her aunts succumbed to their injuries, the victim and her lawyer were admitted to hospital in a critical condition.
ETV Bharat reports from the accident spot The truck’s number plate also bears signs of tampering in an attempt to conceal the registration number.
ADG Lucknow Rajeev Krishna said, "Two women were killed in the accident. The rape survivor and the lawyer are in a critical condition and undergoing treatment at the trauma centre in Lucknow."
"The rape survivor's family had been provided security, but the gunner had not accompanied them on Sunday. The reason behind it is being probed," he said, adding, "The truck involved in the accident has been impounded. It has a Fatehpur district registration plate."
Verma said on the directives of senior officials, he along with the mother of the rape survivor, three sisters and brother were rushing to Lucknow.
The SP also said, "It has come to light that the gunner who usually accompanies the family (of the rape survivor) did not go with them. Why the gunner did not accompany them is being probed, and based on its outcome, action will be initiated accordingly."
Meanwhile, UP Congress leader Aradhana Mishra, who went to visit the injured on the directions of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told media, "The rape survivor is in a very critical condition and the advocate is on ventilator. According to doctors, one person had died on the spot, while another was declared dead upon their arrival at the trauma centre."
Quoting eyewitnesses, Rae Bareli Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Singh said that an over-speeding truck hit the car carrying the rape survivor.
"There were showers and the truck driver lost control over the vehicle which rammed into the car," he said.
The Unnao rape case hit the headlines in 2017 after the then 16-year-old girl alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Sengar.
Sengar has been in jail since the past several months while the case is being probed by the CBI. Sengar’s brother has also been accused of beating up the victim’s father after tying him to a tree. Her father was then arrested and later died in police custody.
The victim’s uncle is also in jail in a separate case. The victim and her family members were on their way to meet her uncle in jail when the collision occurred.
The case came to light after a year when the girl held a protest outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence demanding justice. She had also tried to immolate herself in front of Adityanath’s residence in Lucknow.
The case had led to protests across the country.
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