The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken the matter to the Supreme Court regarding the Delhi High Court’s ruling that suspended the life sentence and granted bail to former Bharatiya Janata Party member Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case. The CBI filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution to contest the December 23 decision by the Delhi High Court, which allowed Sengar’s plea for suspension of sentence while his appeal is pending.
Following the Delhi High Court’s order, the CBI and the victim’s family expressed their intention to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. During the proceedings at the Delhi High Court, the CBI strongly opposed Sengar’s request, emphasizing the gravity of the crime and the associated risks. A Division Bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar at the Delhi High Court had suspended Sengar’s life sentence and granted him conditional bail, subject to strict terms, in a ruling issued on Tuesday.
Despite being granted bail in the rape case, Sengar is not expected to be released immediately as he is currently serving a separate sentence in connection with the death of the survivor’s father. The Unnao rape case had sparked widespread public outcry. In December 2019, Sengar was found guilty by a trial court of abducting and raping a minor girl, leading to a life imprisonment sentence and a fine of Rs 25 lakh.
The Supreme Court had previously transferred all cases related to the incident from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and directed for the trial to be conducted on a day-to-day basis. Meanwhile, family members of the Unnao rape survivor, accompanied by women’s rights activists, staged a protest outside the Delhi High Court against the suspension of Kuldeep Sengar’s life sentence. Protesters voiced concerns, stating that the bail decision had eroded public trust and conveyed a negative message regarding crimes against women.
