The Supreme Court is set to review the Central Bureau of Investigation’s appeal challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the life sentence and grant bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case. A three-judge Vacation Bench, including Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, will address the matter on Monday. The CBI contested the Delhi High Court’s ruling from December 23, which allowed Sengar’s plea for a suspension of sentence pending his appeal.
The CBI and the victim’s family had expressed their intent to contest the Delhi High Court’s judgment before the Supreme Court. Previously, the CBI strongly opposed Sengar’s plea in the Delhi High Court, emphasizing the severity of the crime and associated risks. The Delhi High Court, led by Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, suspended Sengar’s life sentence and granted him conditional bail with stringent terms during the appeal process.
Sengar was released on a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties of the same amount, under the condition that he stays five kilometers away from the victim’s residence and remains in Delhi throughout his bail period. Any violation of these terms would result in bail cancellation, as clarified by the Delhi High Court. The Unnao rape case had sparked widespread public outcry, leading to Sengar’s conviction in December 2019 for kidnapping and raping a minor girl, resulting in a life sentence and a Rs 25 lakh fine.
