CBI moves SC against bail for Kuldeep Sengar
New Delhi | Desk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken a strong stance against the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and grant him bail in the high-profile 2017 Unnao rape case. Officials said the CBI will immediately challenge the decision in the Supreme Court (SLP).
According to a CBI spokesperson, the decision was made after studying the Delhi High Court's order. The agency clarified that it will oppose the suspension of the sentence considering the victim's safety and the perceived threat. However, Sengar will remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the case of the custodial death of the victim's father.
Notably, the Delhi High Court had suspended Sengar's sentence on Tuesday, observing that he had already spent 7 years and 5 months in jail. Following this decision, the victim and her mother staged a protest in Delhi, which was forcibly dispersed by the police.
Rahul Gandhi reacted strongly to the incident, calling it "shameful." He questioned on social media, "Bail for rapists and treating victims like criminals what kind of justice is this?"
On Wednesday, the victim, along with her mother, visited 10, Janpath to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi assured her of all possible help in her fight for justice and promised to arrange a top lawyer for the Supreme Court case.
The High Court granted Sengar bail on a personal bond of ₹15 lakh, with the condition that he would not come within a 5 km radius of the victim's residence in Delhi and would not threaten her in any way.
Unnao Rape Case
A minor girl from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, alleged that then-BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar raped her at his residence in June 2017. The victim was 17 years old at the time. The case remained suppressed for about a year. In April 2018, the victim attempted self-immolation outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow because the police were not registering her complaint. Shortly afterward, the victim's father died in police custody under suspicious circumstances, sparking widespread public outrage across the country.
Following the intervention of the Allahabad High Court, the case was handed over to the CBI. Kuldeep Singh Sengar was arrested on April 13, 2018. The BJP subsequently expelled him from the party.
In July 2019, the victim, her lawyer, and family members were involved in a suspicious truck accident in Raebareli. Two of the victim's aunts died in the accident, while the victim and her lawyer were seriously injured. The Supreme Court took cognizance of the incident and transferred the case from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.
The Tis Hazari Court in Delhi found Kuldeep Sengar guilty of kidnapping and rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment (until death). He was also fined ₹25 lakh. In March 2020, Sengar was convicted in the custodial death case of the victim's father and sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
