Early on 5 December 2019, a 23-year-old rape complainant from Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh was set on fire by five men, including the two she had accused of raping her, as she left to attend a hearing in her case. She died in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital late on 6 December. All five men were arrested; her death set off opposition protests in Lucknow and Unnao, a Rs 25 lakh payment to her family, the suspension of seven policemen and a promise of a fast-track trial that, as of the latest reporting found, had not produced a verdict.
Key takeaways
- On 5 December 2019 a rape complainant from Unnao was set on fire by five men, two of them the men she had accused, on her way to court.
- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav sat on a dharna outside the Vidhan Bhavan in Lucknow on 7 December and demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister, the Home Secretary and the DGP; Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the family the same day.
- The UP government paid the family Rs 25 lakh, promised a house and a fast-track trial, and suspended seven policemen on 8 December.
- Police filed a murder chargesheet against all five in January 2020; four had bail by 2022, and in 2024 Outlook reported the family was still waiting for justice.
Background: the rape complaint and the bail
The woman had accused Shivam Trivedi, a man from her village, and his relative Shubham Trivedi of raping her. In her application to a Rae Bareli court she said Shivam had taken her to Rae Bareli, raped her and filmed it, and that the two men raped her at gunpoint on 12 December 2018. Police did not act on her complaint, and an FIR was registered at Lalganj police station in Rae Bareli only in March 2019, on the court's direction Caravan IANS via National Herald.
On 25 November 2019 Justice Rajeev Singh of the Allahabad High Court granted Shivam bail, on the condition that he would not "influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidence". His counsel argued that the two had married on 1 January 2019 and that the FIR followed his parents' refusal to accept it LiveLaw. Accounts of the release date differ: police said 25 November, while the mother of one accused told IANS he was released on 30 November PTI via Outlook IANS via Gulf News.
The attack and her death
The woman left home before dawn on 5 December to catch a train to Rae Bareli for her hearing. Five men accosted her in a field near her village, poured fuel on her and set her alight Tribune. Reports differ on the fuel: early reports said kerosene, while the police chargesheet says petrol siphoned from one accused's motorcycle Al Jazeera National Herald.
She ran for help, and a local resident called the police; she spoke to them on the phone herself. In her statement to a sub-divisional magistrate she named Shivam, Shubham, Ram Kishore Trivedi, Harishankar Trivedi and Umesh Bajpai PTI via Outlook. She was moved to Lucknow and then airlifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi Tribune.
Dr Shalabh Kumar, head of burns and plastic surgery at Safdarjung, said she had a cardiac arrest at about 11:10 pm on 6 December and died at about 11:40 pm. He told Reuters she had "95 percent burns"; police and other reports put the figure at about 90% PTI via Outlook Al Jazeera.
The same week: Hyderabad
She died on the day Telangana police shot dead four men accused of raping and killing a 27-year-old veterinarian near Hyderabad. Police called it retaliation after the men tried to escape. The veterinarian's family and many citizens applauded the killings, while others worried that police had acted without a trial Al Jazeera Gulf News.
The Unnao woman's father said he wanted the accused "hanged or they should be shot dead, like what happened near Hyderabad" Scroll.
Timeline
Set on fire
The woman is attacked on her way to the railway station. IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar says all five accused have been arrested and promises a fast-track court Tribune.
Akhilesh Yadav's dharna
The SP chief sits on a dharna outside the Vidhan Bhavan in Lucknow, calls it a "Black Day" and announces condolence meetings in every district IANS via National Herald.
Ministers met with protests
NSUI members, Congress workers and local residents protest the visit of ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Kamal Rani Varun and MP Sakshi Maharaj. Police detain NSUI members; several protesters are injured Scroll.
Burial and suspensions
The family, who had demanded a visit by the Chief Minister first, agree to the burial after talks with officials. Hours later seven policemen are suspended Scroll.
The protests
Akhilesh Yadav squatted near the main entrance of the Vidhan Sabha with senior party leaders. "A daughter who is demanding justice is unable to get it. This is a 'Black Day' for us," he said, and demanded that the BJP government be "removed" IANS via National Herald. He called for the resignation of the Chief Minister, the state Home Secretary and the DGP Scroll.
Why the victim of Unnao gangrape case was not given security keeping in mind an earlier incident of Unnao? What action has been taken on the police official who refused to register an FIR?
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Twitter, 7 December 2019 (PTI)
In Unnao, protesters shouted "Why now?" and "go back" as the ministers' convoy arrived. Several protesters, including local Congress leaders, were injured when police dispersed the crowd Scroll PTI via Onmanorama.
In Lucknow, police baton-charged Congress workers protesting outside the BJP headquarters in Hazratganj. In Delhi, the Indian Youth Congress and NSUI held a candlelight march. Rahul Gandhi said another daughter "has lost her life while awaiting justice and security" PTI via Onmanorama.
Both accounts
Family's and opposition's account
According to a police statement, the family had been receiving threats since the main accused's release Gulf News. Her father regretted that she had gone alone that morning IANS via Gulf News. Opposition parties said law and order had "completely collapsed" and that the state had become the country's "rape capital" PTI via Onmanorama.
Government and police account
Government's position Chief Minister Adityanath said he was "extremely sad", that "all the accused persons have been arrested" and that the case would go to a fast-track court Scroll. Minister Swami Prasad Maurya said "No culprit will be spared. It is not a subject of politics." MP Sakshi Maharaj said "Unnao's name has been maligned" Scroll.
Claim · Accused's families Relatives of the accused said they had been falsely implicated. The village pradhan, mother of Shubham Trivedi, said all five were asleep at home when the attack happened and demanded a CBI inquiry and security for their families IANS via Gulf News. Police said the chargesheet rests on her dying declaration, witness statements, mobile phone locations and forensic evidence IANS via National Herald.
Claim · Some media Some reports said she was beaten with sticks and stabbed before being set on fire. The UP government said "the rape victim has not received any external or internal injury and have only evidence of burn injuries" Gulf News.
What the government did
- Compensation and house: On 7 December Maurya handed the father a Rs 25 lakh cheque and said the family would get a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana PTI via Onmanorama Gulf News.
- Police suspended: Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said Ajay Kumar Tripathi, SHO of Bihar police station, and six others were suspended "for negligence during duty" Scroll.
- Courts: Law Minister Brajesh Pathak said the state would seek daily hearings Scroll. The cabinet approved 218 fast-track courts, 144 for crimes against women and 74 for POCSO cases Onmanorama.
- NCW: The National Commission for Women sought an action-taken report LiveLaw.
Chargesheets, bail and the trial
In the original rape case, Rae Bareli police filed a chargesheet against Shivam and Shubham on 9 or 10 December (reports differ) for gang rape, destruction of evidence and criminal intimidation IANS via Tribune National Herald.
In the burning case, Unnao SP Vikrant Vir said the chargesheet was built on electronic evidence and the statements of villagers who took her to hospital. Additional SP Vinod Kumar Pandey, who investigated, said police would apply to move the case to a fast-track court IANS via National Herald.
In May 2022 the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Umesh Bajpai, Ram Kishore Trivedi and Harishankar Trivedi, and Shubham Trivedi got bail in June. In February 2023 her brother challenged the bail in the Supreme Court, alleging that the accused and their supporters were pressuring and threatening the family to settle; Outlook reported that a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Rajesh Bindal accepted the petition Outlook.
Not to be confused: the Kuldeep Sengar case
A separate Unnao case involved a 17-year-old who accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape in 2017. Her father died after allegedly being beaten in police custody, and in July 2019 her car was hit, killing two of her aunts. The Supreme Court moved the trial to Delhi Tribune. Sengar was sentenced to life in December 2019 AIR. On 29 December 2025 the Supreme Court stayed a Delhi High Court order suspending his sentence Tribune. That case is unrelated to the December 2019 burning.
Outcome
- Arrests: All five accused on 5 December 2019.
- Charges: Rape chargesheet December 2019; murder chargesheet January 2020.
- Bail: Four accused granted bail in 2022; challenged in the Supreme Court in 2023.
- Police: Seven suspended.
- Compensation: Rs 25 lakh and a promised house.
What is still pending
Despite the promise of a fast-track trial, Outlook reported in September 2024 that "justice remains elusive" and that the family's wait continued five years after her death Outlook. No verdict in either the rape case or the murder case, and no outcome of the Supreme Court bail challenge, was found in reporting reviewed for this page.
Questions people ask
What happened in the Unnao burning case?
On 5 December 2019 a rape complainant was set on fire by five men, including the two she had accused, on her way to a court hearing. She died in Delhi on 6 December.
Is this the same as the Kuldeep Sengar Unnao case?
No. The Sengar case concerns a 2017 complaint against a BJP MLA, tried in Delhi. The burning case involves different people and a 2018 complaint.
Were the accused arrested?
Yes. All five men were arrested on 5 December 2019. Four had been granted bail by mid-2022.
Has there been a verdict?
No verdict was found in reporting reviewed for this page. Outlook reported in September 2024 that the family was still waiting for justice.
How was it linked to the Hyderabad case?
She died the day Telangana police shot dead four men accused in the Hyderabad case, and her father asked for the same. The two cases fed a national debate on rape and due process.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: India rape victim dies in hospital after being set ablaze, 7 Dec 2019
- Scroll: Protest in Unnao against ministers' visit, NSUI members detained, 7 Dec 2019
- Scroll: Fast-track court will hear case, says CM Adityanath, 7 Dec 2019
- Scroll: Seven policemen suspended, 8 Dec 2019
- Tribune: Unnao rape survivor set ablaze, 5 held, 5 Dec 2019
- The News Minute: Gangrape survivor in Unnao set ablaze, 5 Dec 2019
- PTI via Outlook: Unnao rape victim dies in Delhi, 7 Dec 2019
- IANS via National Herald: UP govt should be removed, says Akhilesh, 7 Dec 2019
- PTI via Onmanorama: Unnao victim's family demands Hyderabad-model action, 8 Dec 2019
- Gulf News: Government gives Rs 25 lakh to victim's family, 7 Dec 2019
- Gulf News: Rape survivor dies of cardiac arrest, 7 Dec 2019
- IANS via Gulf News: Unnao victim's kin want justice, accused's families demand CBI probe, Dec 2019
- LiveLaw: Why Allahabad HC granted bail to prime accused, Dec 2019
- Caravan: The long and tortured road of the Unnao rape victim, 7 Dec 2019
- Onmanorama: UP govt sets up 218 fast track courts, 10 Dec 2019
- IANS via Tribune: Chargesheet filed in Unnao rape case, 11 Dec 2019
- IANS via National Herald: Chargesheet filed in Unnao rape-murder case, 3 Jan 2020
- Outlook: The burning woman of Unnao, 3 Sept 2024
- All India Radio: CBI approaches SC over Sengar bail, 27 Dec 2025
- Tribune: SC stays Delhi HC order granting bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar, 29 Dec 2025