Unnao rape survivor father’s death: Delhi HC extends Kuldeep Sengar’s interim bail till Jan 20

The Delhi High Court on Monday extended till January 20 the interim bail of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar, who is serving a 10-year jail term in the custodial death case of the Unnao rape survivor’s father.

Acting on Sengar’s petition seeking extension of his interim bail on medical grounds, Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri noted that a Division Bench of the High Court has also extended his interim suspension of sentence for further one month in the main Unnao rape case.

“In view of the December 20 order of the Division Bench the appellant’s sentence shall remain suspended till January 20, 2025, on which date he would surrender.

“The order be communicated to the jail superintendent concerned,” Justice Ohri said.

A Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Amit Sharma, while dealing with the main Unnao rape case on December 20, extended the politician’s interim bail till January 20 when he will surrender before jail. It imposed certain conditions on Sengar, such as not moving out of his residence except for visiting AIIMS for follow-up treatment and not leaving Delhi.

The Division Bench said, “Considering the overall medical condition of the appellant (Sengar), this court is of the opinion that the period for which the suspension is being sought is long. However, in order to enable the appellant to recover from his eye surgery, scrotal pain and the bleeding issues that he is facing while defecation, the extension of interim bail for a period of one month is directed.” It has made clear that no further extension will be granted.

The Division Bench on December 5 suspended his sentence till December 20.

Noting Sengar was granted a similar relief by the division bench in the rape case, the single judge had also suspended his sentence till December 20 in the custodial death case and granted him 10 days of interim bail.

He was convicted of raping the minor survivor and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019.

Sengar’s appeal challenging the trial court’s verdict in the rape case is pending in the high court. He sought quashing of the December 16, 2019 trial court judgment convicting him in the rape case. Sengar also sought setting aside of the sentencing order in the rape case.

The girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor.

On March 13, 2020, Sengar was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor’s father. The trial court said “no leniency” could be shown for killing a family’s “sole bread earner”. The girl’s father was arrested at the alleged behest of Sengar under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality. —with PTI