Delhi court frames charges in 2019 accident case of Unnao rape survivor

New Delhi, Dec 22: A Delhi court framed charges on Tuesday against four people, including the truck driver, in the 2019 accident case of the Unnao rape survivor, in which former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and five others were discharged on Monday.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey put Ashish Kumar Pal, the truck driver, Vinod Mishra, Haripal Singh and Naveen Singh on trial as there were sufficient evidence against them. The court passed the order after the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

"Accused Ashish Kumar Pal is directed to be charged for offence punishable under sections 304A (causing death by negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 279 (rash driving on a public way) of the IPC and accused Vinod Mishra, Haripal Singh and Naveen Singh are directed to be separately charged for offence punishable under section 506(ii) (threat to cause death), read with section 34 (common intention) of the IPC," the court said.

According to the prosecution, the truck rammed into the vehicle in which the Unnao rape survivor was travelling to Rae Bareli with her two aunts and lawyer in July 2019. While her aunts succumbed to their injuries, the rape survivor and her lawyer were grievously injured.

The court discharged Sengar, Komal Singh, Arun Singh, Gyanendra Singh, Rinku Singh and Awdesh Singh in the case on Monday, observing that prima facie, there was no evidence against them.

In its order passed on Monday, the court noted that the chargesheet did not mention any record or evidence regarding a criminal conspiracy between the accused persons ordered to be put on trial with Sengar. It also noted that Sengar was in judicial custody during the period when threats were allegedly given to the rape survivor and her family members.

The prosecution case was that the former MLA conspired with the other accused to issue threats to the rape survivor and her family members and he himself had not threatened them, the court said. On August 1, 2019, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh. On December 20, 2019, Sengar was sentenced to jail for the "remainder of his natural biological life" in a separate case for raping the minor in 2017. On March 4, 2020, Sengar, his brother and five others were also convicted for the death of the rape survivor's father in judicial custody and were sentenced to 10 years in jail.