Unnao rape case: CBI to move Supreme Court challenging suspension of Kuldeep Sengar's life sentence
Unnao rape case: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suspended the jail term of expelled BJP leader Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the 2017 Unnao rape case, saying he has already served seven years and five months in prison.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will immediately challenge the suspension of the life sentence and the grant of bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case before the Supreme Court, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, citing officials. The decision was taken after the agency examined the order passed by a division bench of the Delhi High Court in the case.
A CBI spokesperson said it has been decided to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court at the earliest against the high court’s order, which suspended Sengar’s life sentence and granted him bail.
Sengar had moved the high court challenging his life imprisonment, a plea that was strongly opposed by both the CBI and the victim's family. "The CBI filed timely replies and written arguments in this matter. The family of the victim has also opposed the petition, citing safety and threats. The CBI will immediately challenge this order," the statement said.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar's life sentence in the rape case and granted him bail while his appeal against the December 2019 conviction remains pending. While allowing the relief, the court imposed strict conditions, directing Sengar not to enter a 5-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence or intimidate her or her mother, warning that any violation would result in automatic cancellation of bail.
However, Sengar will continue to remain behind bars as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father and has not been granted bail in that matter.
Unnao rape survivor meets Rahul Gandhi
Unnao rape survivor on Wednesday (December 24) met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital. Rahul Gandhi met the rape survivor at his mother Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence after the woman staged a protest in Delhi against the bail granted by the Delhi High Court to the convict in the case, expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Sonia Gandhi was also present in the meeting. Both of them have promised the Unnao family that they will do everything in their capacity to ensure they get justice and security.
The victim and her family made three key requests to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. They sought his help in getting a top lawyer to fight against Sengar in the Supreme Court, a request to which Rahul Gandhi assured support. They also asked for assistance in relocating to a Congress-ruled state, citing fears for their lives and lack of confidence in their security. Rahul Gandhi said he would help with this as well. Additionally, the victim’s husband requested help in securing a better job, and Rahul Gandhi said he would look into the matter.
Unnao rape case
The girl was kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor. On March 13, 2020, Sengar was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and was fined Rs 10 lakh in connection with the case of the custodial death of the rape victim's father. The court had also awarded a 10-year jail term to Sengar's brother, Atul Singh Sengar, and five others.
The father of the rape victim was arrested at the behest of Sengar in a case under the Arms Act. He died in custody on April 9, 2018. The rape case and other connected cases were transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019.
Also Read: Unnao rape survivor meets Rahul Gandhi, seeks top lawyer to challenge Kuldeep Sengar in SC