"5 houses in 10 years", NH-91 gang rape survivor, now a law student, says trauma still haunts her

Ahead of the sentencing in the 2016 gang rape case on National Highway-91 in Uttar Pradesh that stunned the country, one of the survivors has spoken about the decade-long trauma her family has endured. The survivor, who was 14 years old at the time of the crime and is now 23, is currently pursuing a law degree and hopes to become a judge. Speaking to TOI from an undisclosed location on Sunday, she described the years following the incident as “savage and inhuman”, but said her family stayed united and continued to fight for justice.

“We changed addresses and cities multiple times to avoid recognition and harassment. But every time we were identified and vilified,” she said, breaking down repeatedly during the conversation. Haunted by recurring nightmares, she added, “I remember every face. They’re not human — they are demons.”

A day after a court in Bulandshahr convicted five of the accused involved in the gang rape of her mother and herself, she said the verdict had restored some hope. “But it will take a long time — perhaps an eternity — for us to heal. What they did didn’t just violate our bodies — it also destroyed our lives, peace, our future,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. “The trauma never leaves you. Nights are the worst. I still wake up frightened.”

Forced to keep moving

Over the past ten years, the family has been forced to change homes at least five times. Questioning how long they could continue living in hiding, she said, “Someone comes to know about our past, and it spreads like fire. People start looking at us with contempt. The environment around us turns hostile.” She described facing constant harassment, adding, “They follow me on road, pass lewd comments, and even roam around my house. But we did not break. I did not break.”

Financial hardship and disrupted education

Frequent relocations also took a severe financial toll on the family. “My father once owned three cars and ran them as taxis. Today, he works night shifts driving someone else’s car just to feed us,” she said. As the only child, she wanted to support her parents, but admitted her education suffered due to repeated moves. Now studying law, she hopes to one day become a judge and work for the cause of rape survivors.

A mother’s pain

Her mother struggled to speak, often pausing to hold back tears. “We were a normal family then... We had never seen a court or spoken to police. But after that day, our lives changed forever. My daughter — only a child then — saw everything, she lived through everything,” she said.

The night that changed everything

Recounting the incident, the survivor’s father spoke of his helplessness. “We were supposed to attend my grandmother’s funeral. It was around 1am when, on the highway, I heard a loud bang. We paused thinking something had hit our vehicle,” he recalled. “All of a sudden, 7 to 8 men emerged from the bushes and overpowered us at gunpoint.”

He added, “My wife, daughter, brother, his wife and his young son were all there. They dragged my wife and daughter into the bushes. My daughter kept pleading before them. I was right there, but couldn’t save them. I could hear their cries for help reverberating into the night... It still haunts me.”

Despite the convictions, the family says the scars of that night — and the years that followed — remain deeply etched, even as they continue their long journey toward justice and healing.

[With TOI inputs]