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‘I haven't really cried since this incident. This is not the time for crying’
Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt speaks to the mother of the Unnao rape survivor who met with a near-fatal road accident on Sunday.
She sits outside the 'special room' in a Lucknow hospital where her daughter lies fighting for her life.
Doctors say the teen is extremely critical and sustained extensive fractures on her ribs, collarbone, arms and a leg.
She is on a ventilator. "Haalat bahut gambhir hai (Her condition is very serous)," her mother says.
At 1.30 pm on July 28, the girl, two aunts and her lawyer, were on their way to Rae Bareli to meet an uncle, when a speeding truck rammed into their car.
The aunts were killed and the girl and the lawyer, critically injured.
This could have been any hit and run accident, but for the fact that the girl is a rape survivor and her alleged rapist, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Kuldeep Sengar, is in jail since April 2018.
A first report information has now been filed against the MLA and 29 of his aides for attempt to murder.
Speaking to Rediff.com over the phone, the mother says, "Only you (the media) can give us justice. I have been talking to the media constantly since this hadsaa (incident) happened, but six months ago, the media was nowhere to be seen. If you desert us, how can we expect justice?
"This is not an accident. Yeh karwaya gaya hai. It's a conspiracy. The vidhayak (MLA Kuldeep Sengar) is responsible for this,” the mother charged.
The mother is composed, calm.
"I haven't really cried since this incident. This is not the time for crying," she says.
"But I can tell you what happened. Vidhayak andar se baithe baithe karwaya diya (the MLA did this sitting in jail). He picked up the phone, called someone and arranged to have this 'accident'," she once again accused the legislator.
The family has reason to suspect foul play.
In 2018, the rape survivor’s father was booked under the Arms Act and was sent to jail. The girl tried to self-immolate herself outside UP CM Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow, demanding justice for her father. The next day, her father died of serious injuries in jail.
In August last year, Yunus, a key CBI witness in the brutal thrashing of the rape survivor's father in police custody, died. Villagers said that Yunus suddenly fell ill and passed away within an hour even before he could be taken to the hospital for treatment. His family members buried him without even informing the CBI and the police.
The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the probe in the case in April 2018 and filed four separate FIRs.
While one was a case of rape of the minor in June 2017 based on her complaint, another was on the assault and death of her father in police custody.
A third case was filed on a cross-complaint by the MLA’s brother alleging assault by the rape survivor’s relatives.
The fourth case relates to her being allegedly gang-raped by three men, including the son of Kuldeep Sengar’s associate, Shashi Singh.
The Allahabad high court has recommended that the case be investigated by the CBI.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police have maintained that it was an accident.
Rae Bareli superintendent of police Sunil Kumar Singh told news agencies said that a speeding truck coming from the wrong side of the road, hit the car carrying the rape survivor and her family.
"There were rain showers and the truck driver lost control over the vehicle which rammed into the car," the SP said.
The truck driver and the owner have been arrested.
The teen's mother says everyone knew the girl and her aunts and the lawyer were headed to Rae Bareli by car, and the accident was planned.
"We have already filed an FIR against the MLA for murder and attempt to murder and now we want a CBI investigation into the incident," her mother said.
All through the last one year, the family has received threats to withdraw the cases against the MLA.
The MLA's men and the other accused in the case have come to their home several times, she says.
"Dhamki dete the, maar denge... (they threatened to kill us). So I know that finally they have made good," she said.
"Unka accident karvaya diya gaya (They made the accident happen),” the mother claimed.
She sounds distracted. "Madam, I'm being called inside. I don't know why. What will the doctors say?"
She says doctors have told her that her daughter will recover, but she is not convinced.
"I hope she gets well. Pata nahin, I don't know, I hope it's nothing serious. Please pray that she recovers. Only you (the media) can help us through this," she says, her voice quivering for the first time.