Unnao rape case: ‘Don’t let hate bury the truth’, pleads Sengar’s daughter in viral open letter

New Delhi: In an open letter posted on social media platform X, Dr Ishita Sengar, daughter of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar — convicted in the 2017 Unnao rape case — expressed deep anguish, fear, and waning faith in the justice system.

The letter, addressed to the “Hon’ble Authorities of the Republic of India,” comes hours after the Supreme Court stayed a Delhi High Court order that had suspended her father’s life sentence and granted him conditional bail.

Sengar, expelled from the BJP, was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2019 for raping a minor girl who had approached him for a job in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. The case, which sparked national outrage in 2018, involved allegations of political influence, with the survivor’s father dying in custody and relatives killed in a 2019 accident.

The Delhi High Court on December 23 suspended the sentence pending appeal, citing that an MLA did not qualify as a “public servant” under pre-2019 POCSO Act provisions, reducing the minimum penalty — a ruling the CBI challenged.

A Supreme Court vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant stayed the High Court order on Monday, noting substantial legal questions and concerns that excluding lawmakers from “public servant” status could exempt them from aggravated penalties.

Sengar remains in jail, also serving time for the custodial death case.

In her letter, Ishita described eight years of silent waiting, trusting institutions over “noise, hashtags, or public anger.” She lamented being reduced to “the daughter of a BJP MLA,” erasing her humanity, and facing daily death and rape threats on social media.

“We chose silence… believing truth does not need spectacle,” she wrote, claiming the family has been dehumanised, financially drained, and ignored despite approaching every authority. Highlighting a “manufactured fear” silencing judges and citizens, Ishita appealed for evidence to be examined “without pressure”, and truth upheld “even when unpopular.”

“We are asking for justice because we are human,” she emphasised, signing off as “a daughter still waiting for justice” who believes in the country but fears regretting that faith.

The survivor’s side welcomed the Supreme Court stay, with her mother expressing renewed hope for justice. The case continues to underscore debates on due process, public outrage, and accountability for those in power.

IANS