Unnao rape victim’s father’s death: Kuldeep Singh Sengar, 6 others convicted

The court had initially framed charges of murder against Sengar. However, the judge while pronouncing the verdict, said, “His (Sengar) intention was not to commit murder… However, they beat up the victim in a brutal manner that led to his death.” The judge said that the “doctors at the district hospital (where the father was treated) were negligent and acted like butchers”.

The court had clubbed the trial in two cases pertaining to the planting of a country-made pistol and the death of the rape victim’s father. Sengar has already been convicted for the rape of the Unnao girl and is serving a life sentence.

According to court documents, Sengar was in Delhi and the three policemen in Unnao when they allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy to “deter, intimidate or silence the victim and her father from proceeding with the complaint of alleged rape”, and the victim, her parents and a sister, along with a co-worker, were allegedly assaulted by Sengar’s brother and four others accused to prevent them from proceeding to their residence.

The court relied on blood stains found on the police jeep and the exchange of call records to convict Sengar. The court said that “there was no scope for any doubt that Sengar was pulling all the strings and in conspiracy with the two policemen involved the victim in a false case of possession of illegal fire arms…”

The court said that the sequence of events “establishes clearly, beyond reasonable doubt, that under the patronage of accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his foot soldiers — namely Vineet Mishra, Birender Singh and Shashi Pratap Singh (and probably with others who could not be identified) — assaulted the victim with leg and fist blows by intermittently hitting him… with the barrel of the rifle.”

While convicting the police station in-charge, Ashok Singh Bhadauria, and Sub Inspector, K P Singh, the court said that they “being seasoned police officials, disobeyed the direction of law to protect the life and liberty of the victim… They allowed the assailants their protective police cover affording them a free hand to do what they did”.

The court, however, acquitted four others accused – constable Amir Khan, Shailendra Singh, Ram Sharan Singh and Sharadveer Singh — giving them the benefit of the doubt.

The court said Sengar had a motive as he “was riled up over the pamphlets and whatsapp messages being circulated against him… his family, including accused Jai Deep Singh, and they were probably brewing with anger for long.”

“Hence, no sooner the victim was sighted and had a scuffle with Shashi Pratap Singh, the news traveled thick and fast on mobile phones… The accused (Sengar) along with his brother agreed that the matter be dealt in a befitting way setting an example before every one in the village,” the court said.