A Supreme Court advocate, Alakh Alok Srivastava, has written to the Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V. Ramana, requesting him to take suo motu cognizance of the death of a 24-year-old rape victim, who had set herself ablaze outside the Supreme Court.
Srivastava recalled the incident on August 16, where, a 24-year-old “rape victim” and her male friend set themselves on fire, outside Supreme Court premises. Both of them were rushed to RML Hospital, Delhi. However, the man, died on August 21, and the rape victim died on August 24.
The Advocate said that the before setting herself on fire, the said rape victim had recorded a Facebook Live video, wherein, she had reportedly said that she had lodged a rape case against BSP MP Atul Rai and further alleged that few senior IPS officers and a Judge from Uttar Pradesh were “part of nexus”.
As per the reports, the accused had raped the victim in Varanasi (UP) on March 7, 2018, filmed the assault and threatened to circulate the video clip on social media. Subsequently, an FIR was registered in this case and the trial of the case is going on before Ld. Trial Court at Prayagraj (UP).
Meanwhile, in November 2020, the brother of the accused, Pawan Kumar, reportedly lodged a complaint in Varanasi against the victim for allegedly forging her date of birth in her marksheet. A case was lodged against the victim u/s 419/420/467/468/471/120-B IPC in Varanasi.
On August 02, 2021, the Ld. Trial Court at Varanasi reportedly issued a Non-Bailable Warrant against the victim after the police told the court that she “remained untraceable”.
The victim’s parents, who live in Ballia (UP) have said that the accused and his associates were harassing the victim, torturing her, threatening to circulate her video and pressuring her to withdraw the rape case.
The victim’s parents have further said that the victim never absconded, despite that NBW was issued against her by the Ld. Court, due to which she was utterly upset and disappointed.
It is quite axiomatic from bare perusal of the aforesaid news report that the deceased rape victim and her family members had levelled serious allegations on the accused MP, policemen and also on a member of judiciar, Srivastava said.
“While I completely disapprove of her drastic decision to set herself on fire, at the same time, I also strongly feel that the victim very much deserves to get justice even after her death, pursuant to the aforesaid unfortunate incident, which took place at the doorsteps of our Supreme Court of India. Hence, in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the instant case, I am most humbly and respectfully praying your lordship to kindly take suo moto cognizance of the aforesaid heart wrenching incident and issue appropriate directions to conduct Supreme Court-monitored CBI enquiry into the same, in the interest of Justice,” the letter said.