The Delhi High Court dismissed a plea by expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, seeking suspension of his 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the Unnao rape survivor’s father. Justice Ravinder Dudeja rejected Sengar’s application for bail, considering the seriousness of the offence and his criminal history. The court noted that Sengar had served 7.5 years of his sentence but emphasized the need for a merit-based appeal hearing.
In March 2020, Sengar was convicted by a Delhi court for his involvement in the custodial death of the rape survivor’s father and received a 10-year rigorous imprisonment term. The trial, along with related cases from the Unnao incident, was shifted from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi by the Supreme Court in 2019 for expedited proceedings. The case stemmed from an incident in April 2018 when the victim’s father was allegedly assaulted by Sengar’s associates and subsequently died in police custody.
The Delhi High Court had previously denied a similar plea by Sengar in June 2024, citing the gravity of the crime and its impact on public trust in the justice system. In December 2019, Sengar was also found guilty in a separate rape case involving a minor and was sentenced to life imprisonment. While the Delhi High Court had temporarily granted him bail in the 2017 Unnao rape case, the Supreme Court intervened, halting his release due to the case’s unique circumstances.
