Woman Who Accused MP Atul Rai Of Rape Dies

A 24-year-old woman from eastern Uttar Pradesh, who had accused BSP MP Atul Rai of rape in 2019, passed away in a Delhi hospital, a week after she and her male friend set themselves on fire outside the gates of the Supreme Court of India.

She had alleged that the police in Varanasi, where she had filed a case, were colluding with the jailed Member of Parliament and his relatives. The woman's friend had died of burns on Saturday, August 21.

The woman and her friend live-streamed a video on Facebook on August 16 before sprinkling petrol on themselves and lighting the fire. While she suffered 85 percent burns in the immolation bid, her friend suffered 65 per cent burns. Both were admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. She passed away on Tuesday, August 24.

The case dates back to 2019, when the woman filed a case against Rai, the MP from, alleging that he had raped her at his residence in Varanasi. He surrendered a month later and has been in jail since then. Rai, however, has denied the allegations.

A Case Of Forgery

In November 2020, Rai's brother registered a police complaint and accused the woman of forgery. She had called the accusation "false" but earlier this month, a court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against her after the police reportedly told the court that she was untraceable.

The woman and her friend then travelled to Delhi and did a Facebook Live video before setting themselves on fire on August 16. In the video, the duo accused the police of colluding with Rai and his relatives. They said they expected no justice. In the video she also named several police officials and even a judge.

"We have reached the destination they wanted us at. They made efforts for the past year and a half to push us to this point," she is heard saying in the video. On August 18, two policemen in Varabnasi were suspended following the immolation incident.

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