The Delhi High Court has taken up a plea from the Unnao rape survivor requesting a review of the sentence given to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in her father’s custodial death case. The survivor’s petition challenges the 10-year rigorous imprisonment handed to Sengar and calls for a harsher penalty. Sengar was convicted in 2020 for his involvement in the death of the rape survivor’s father, who died in police custody after being assaulted by Sengar’s associates.
The case dates back to April 2018 when the minor rape victim’s father was allegedly attacked by Sengar’s accomplices in Unnao. He was arrested the next day on weapon possession charges and later succumbed to injuries sustained in custody. The trial, part of the broader Unnao rape incident, was moved from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi by the Supreme Court for a fair and prompt hearing. The survivor’s appeal against Sengar’s sentence suspension and bail was rejected by the Delhi High Court in January, citing the severity of the crime and Sengar’s criminal history.
The Supreme Court also declined to halt Sengar’s sentence, emphasizing that his appeal against conviction was pending in the Delhi High Court. In a recent ruling, the Chief Justice of India urged the Delhi High Court to expedite the decision on Sengar’s appeal, ideally within three months. If the survivor’s plea on the sentence is deemed valid, the Supreme Court suggested consolidating all related appeals for a swift resolution. Sengar is currently serving a life sentence for a separate rape case involving a minor girl.
