The Delhi High Court postponed the hearing on the Unnao rape survivor’s request for a harsher sentence for expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and other convicts in her father’s custodial death case. Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja allowed more time for the convicts to respond and rescheduled the hearing for March 28. The survivor had previously challenged the punishment given to Sengar and demanded a stricter penalty.
In March 2020, Sengar was found guilty of involvement in the custodial death of the survivor’s father and received a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence. The survivor argues that due to the severity of the crime, the convicts should face the death penalty. The incident dates back to April 2018 when the rape victim’s father was allegedly attacked by Sengar’s associates in Unnao, leading to his arrest on weapons charges and subsequent death in police custody.
The trial, part of the Unnao rape case, was moved from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi by the Supreme Court for a fair and prompt trial. In January, the Delhi High Court rejected Sengar’s plea for suspension of sentence and bail, citing the seriousness of the offense and his criminal record. The Supreme Court also declined to suspend Sengar’s sentence, urging the Delhi High Court to expedite the appeal process within three months.
