Unnao rape survivor, mother meet Rahul Gandhi after CRPF manhandling sparks row

The meeting took place at 10 Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi, a day after Rahul Gandhi returned from a visit to Germany. Sonia Gandhi was also present. The discussion lasted over an hour, NDTV reported, quoting sources.

According to reports, Rahul Gandhi assured the survivor and her family that the matter would be escalated and that the Congress would extend all possible assistance to ensure justice.

The survivor and her mother have been protesting against the Delhi High Court’s decision granting interim relief to Sengar, who has challenged his conviction in the 2017 rape case and will remain out of jail until the court decides on his appeal.

The High Court order has triggered a major political controversy, with the Opposition sharply criticising the Centre and questioning the treatment meted out to the survivor.

The survivor described the court’s decision as “completely shocking", saying years of struggle had led to deep disappointment.

“We have gone so many years back and forth with the judiciary and this is what the outcome is? We only want one thing — justice. We will appeal to the Supreme Court,” she said.

After meeting Rahul Gandhi, the survivor reiterated that she has full faith in the Supreme Court and also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing her wish to meet him.

The family placed three key demands before Gandhi — legal support from a top lawyer to fight the case in the Supreme Court, relocation to a Congress-ruled state citing fears for their safety, and a job for the survivor’s husband. As per reports, Gandhi agreed to help on all three fronts.

In a post on X earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi questioned whether the survivor was being mistreated for raising her voice against injustice. “Is such treatment of a gang rape victim justified?” he wrote in Hindi.

“Bail for rapists and treating survivors like criminals — what kind of justice is this? With such inhuman incidents, we are not only becoming a dead economy, but also a dead society,” his post said.

The latest controversy follows disturbing visuals from this morning, when the survivor and her mother were being transported by CRPF personnel in a bus after being detained during protests at India Gate.

The family had planned to address the media at Mandi House, but the bus did not stop there. The CRPF later said permission to protest had not been granted.

When the bus passed Mandi House, the elderly woman attempted to get down and was allegedly asked to jump off the moving vehicle. Videos showed her standing at the bus door as personnel pushed her repeatedly, after which she jumped off. The bus drove away with her daughter still inside.

The incident has intensified outrage over both the court’s decision and the handling of the survivor and her family, adding fresh pressure on the Centre and law enforcement agencies.