Witness protection plays a key role in high profile litigations given how one testimony is all it takes to make or break a case. This element is especially significant in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case as over 80 witnesses have already turned hostile. Siting the case of the alleged extra-judicial killing of Tulsiram Prajapati, who was himself one of the main witnesses in the case, during a prison transfer, PUCL wrote, “Azam Khan, a crucial witness in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh murder case, has approached the Rajasthan High Court (S.B. Criminal Writ No.416/2018) for protection as he was threatened that he would be shifted to the high security jail at Ajmer and would be harmed along the way like Tulsiram Prajapati, who was a victim of a fake encounter. Despite the pendency of this petition, the next date of hearing for which is 17 December, the administration is now transferring Azam Khan to Ajmer jail from Udaipur jail.”
 
PUCL pointed out that there were no cases against him in Ajmer and added how the transfer was an intimidation tactic. The letter by PUCL President Kavita Srivastava says, “There are no cases against him in Ajmer, only in Udaipur. As such there is no good reason for him to be shifted to Ajmer apart from creating fear and intimidation. In light of the threat to Azam Khan’s life, we appeal to the administration to not do so and to take all possible measures to ensure his safety.” The threat at the Ajmer jail could stem from the presence of rival gang members.
 
The entire letter may be read here:

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DNA Protest against rape

BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is one of the accused in the gang-rape. The father of the gang-rape survivor was allegedly abducted by Sengar’s brother Atul and his aides, at the behest of Sengar, in early April 2018. CBI has listed Yunus as an eyewitness; he had a grocery shop near where the survivor’s father was allegedly tied to a tree and beaten, The Telegraph reported, adding that Sengar allegedly caused the survivor’s father to be implicated in a false illegal arms case. The father was arrested, and on April 8 died in police custody. 

Yunus was quickly buried following his death, and no post-mortem was conducted. A source from the CBI, which is investigating the Unnao case, told The Telegraph that Yunus’s “family members did not inform us about his death. They buried him silently. We need time to take a decision on this development.” Yunus’s neighbours in Unnao’s Makhi told the Times of India that Yunus fell ill on August 18, and passed away while being rushed to the district hospital. However, the DNA reported that, according to villagers in Makhi, Yunus took ill suddenly and died before he could be taken to the hospital. 

The Unnao gang-rape survivor’s uncle has alleged that Sengar is responsible for Yunus’s death. “I am sure Kuldeep is behind his death. I have written to the CBI, the district magistrate and the superintendent of police of Unnao to exhume Khan’s body for a post-mortem,” the uncle said on Wednesday, August 22, The Telegraph reported. Yunus’s “family members have said he fell ill suddenly and died. They hurriedly buried him under pressure from the MLA,” the uncle said. However, Yunus’s wife, Sabina told reporters that he had had a liver infection for four months, and was being treated, and was buried following his death. She said Yunus’s family had no knowledge of the gang-rape survivor’s uncle’s accusations, and that they would not take objection to the body being exhumed, The Telegraph reported. 

The survivor’s uncle has also alleged that Sengar has made moves to impede the case. He said, “While the victim was a minor when she was raped, Kuldeep recently forced the teachers of the school where she studied to change her date of birth to prove that she was an adult at that time. The CBI visited the school recently and recovered the original documents,” the Telegraph reported. The survivor’s family has alleged that Sengar’s aides have threatened witnesses and asked villagers to stay away from the CBI, The New Indian Express reported. 

Both Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Atul are in prison with their aides. The CBI has named Kuldeep and four aides in a chargesheet for alleged kidnapping, inducement and rape. In a separate chargesheet, the brother Atul and his aides have been named for the alleged murder of the survivor’s father. 
 

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