'Won't rest until he is hanged': Unnao rape survivor after SC stays Sengar's suspension of life sentence
Unnao rape case: The Supreme Court today stayed the Delhi High Court order which suspended former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar's sentence in Unnao rape case. On December 23, the Delhi High Court suspended his life sentence.
"I will not rest until he is hanged," the Unnao rape survivor said on Monday, expressing relief and satisfaction after the Supreme Court stayed the Delhi High Court order that had suspended the life sentence of convict Kuldeep Sengar. Acting on a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the high court's decision, the apex court also issued a notice to Sengar, seeking his response.
"I am very happy with this decision. I have received justice from the Supreme Court. I have been fighting for justice from the very beginning," the survivor told news agency PTI over the phone from Delhi.
She said she had faith in the judicial system and added that the Supreme Court’s intervention had strengthened her belief. "I do not make allegations against any court. I trust all courts, but the Supreme Court has given me justice and will continue to do so," she said.
Reiterating her resolve, she said, "I will not rest until he is hanged. I will keep fighting. Only then will my family and I get justice. We continue to receive threats even today."
Family members express relief
Family members also welcomed the Supreme Court's intervention, saying it had restored their faith in the justice system.
The survivor's sister said she was confident that the court would ensure the convict is not released. "He is a monster. First, he raped my sister and later destroyed the entire family. I am satisfied today. His bail should remain rejected," she said, adding that the family would continue to pursue the case.
The survivor's mother also thanked the apex court, telling reporters that those responsible for killing her husband deserved the death penalty.
Supreme Court stays Delhi HC order
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court stayed the Delhi High Court order that had suspended Sengar's life sentence and granted him bail in the 2017 Unnao rape case. A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih observed that the matter required consideration. It said Sengar shall not be released from custody following the high court's December 23 order.
On December 23, the Delhi High Court suspended the jail term of Sengar, a former legislator from Unnao who was serving life imprisonment in the case, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
His sentence was suspended by the high court till the pendency of his appeal challenging his conviction and sentence in the rape case. He has challenged a December 2019 trial court verdict in the case.
The expelled BJP leader will, however, remain in jail since he is also serving 10 years' imprisonment in the custodial death case of the victim's father and has not been granted bail in that case.
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: SC upholds Kuldeep Sengar's sentence in Unnao rape case; stays Delhi HC decision