Unnao rape case: Delhi court records statement of survivor's uncle; deposition to continue on 2 September

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday recorded the statement of the Unnao rape survivor’s uncle in the case in which expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar is a key accused. District Judge Dharmesh Sharma was presiding over the in-camera hearing in the 2017 case of alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of the woman, who was a minor then, by the MLA. [caption id=“attachment_7092081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Protesters demonstrate against the delay in justice in the Unnao rape case. PTI[/caption] The uncle of the rape survivor had been transferred to the Tihar jail in Delhi from a prison in Uttar Pradesh to ensure his safety. He has been convicted in a 19-year-old case and sentenced to 10-year jail term on a case filed by Sengar’s brother, Atul Singh. The recording of the statement remained inconclusive and will continue on 2 September. The Supreme Court had transferred four criminal cases from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi — the 2017 rape case; an alleged fake matter under the Arms Act against the father of the rape survivor; his death in police custody, and the gang rape of the woman. The court had earlier directed the media to abstain from reporting names and addresses of the rape survivor, her family and witnesses and certain other aspects of the case. “The media shall refrain from reporting testimony of any witness, wholly or partly, and refrain from appreciating such evidence or giving any opinion on the merits of the case during the course of this enquiry/trial as the case may be,” the court had said. The court had on 9 August framed charges against Sengar for allegedly kidnapping and raping the woman. It had also framed charges against Atul Singh for allegedly taking her to Sengar’s house on 4 June, 2017 without the consent of her parents with the knowledge that she would be subjected to rape. Both the accused, had however, denied the allegations, saying they have been falsely implicated in the case.