SC Seeks Threat Assessment from Delhi Govt as Unnao Survivor’s Mother Demands CRPF Security Reinstatement

(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)

Delhi,7, October, 2025- The mother of the 2017 Unnao rape survivor has filed a miscellaneous application seeking restoration of CRPF security that was withdrawn following a Supreme Court order. She alleged threats to her life and requested the court to recall its recent decision permitting the withdrawal of CRPF protection from her family.

A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and PB Varale directed the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi to file an affidavit regarding the threat perception to the applicant and her family members. The court also asked whether the family had approached any competent authority to seek security cover.

This development follows the Supreme Court’s March 25 order allowing the Union of India’s intervention application, which sought to modify an August 1, 2019 direction mandating CRPF protection for the survivor, her lawyer, mother, siblings, uncle, and the uncle’s immediate family. The Union had sought withdrawal of security from all except the survivor herself.

 The Applicant submitted “That it is respectfully submitted that the main Accused in the batch of cases, registered for the heinous offenses against the Survivor and her family, is an extremely powerful and well-connected individual with political clout and influence, not only in the local area, being the Unnao District in Uttar Pradesh, but his associates and connections are spread in several places. There is hence a grave and serious risk to the life and liberty of the Survivor, and her family members, including the present Applicant, especially now that the said Accused stands convicted in two such cases”

During the hearing, Advocate Mehmood Pracha informed the court that an application for security was pending before the Delhi Legal Services Authority. Justice Mithal observed that the Uttar Pradesh government had no role in providing security at this stage and inquired to which authority the application was made. The applicant’s counsel could not produce the relevant documents. Justice Varale remarked, “Unless you show that, it will be very difficult to pass any order.”

Counsel for NCT Delhi submitted that the applicant had not approached any local authority. The court reminded the Delhi government of its obligation to file an affidavit regarding the threat perception to the applicant and her family members and allowed time for the same.

Background of the case: In 2019, the Supreme Court took Suo motu cognizance following a letter addressed to the then Chief Justice of India expressing threat apprehensions. Subsequently, the Court transferred all related cases from the CBI court in Lucknow to the District Court in Delhi. In the same year, a vehicle carrying the survivor was rammed near Rai Bareilly, killing two of her aunts and critically injuring her and her lawyer.

“That on 20.12.2019, while passing the order on sentence against the accused in the aforesaid RC No. 8, the Ld. Trial Court had directed, inter alia, that the Central Bureau of Investigation shall continue to assess “threat perception” to the life and security of the Victim and her family, every three months. It was also directed that adequate steps would be taken by the CBI to ensure that the life and liberty of the Victim and her family remain secured, including by provision of a safe house and/or change of identities”

In December 2019, BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others were convicted by the trial court for their involvement in the crime. The Supreme Court had directed the CBI to assess the threat perception to the survivor and her family every three months. The UP government last filed an affidavit on threat perception in 2022; no further reports have been submitted since then.

The last affidavit on threat perception was filed by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2022. No subsequent reports have been submitted.

Following the withdrawal of security, the applicant’s residence was allegedly attacked and ransacked during the night, with valuables stolen.

The plea emphasized that the convicted MLA continues to wield significant influence, posing a serious danger to the safety of the survivor’s family.

After the withdrawal of security, the applicant’s residence was attacked and ransacked at night, with valuables stolen. Given the conviction of MLA Sengar, who wields significant local influence, the survivors’ family continues to face serious risks to their safety.