New Delhi — In a significant development in the high-profile 2017 Unnao rape case, the Supreme Court of India has put a hold on the release of former BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, ensuring that he will continue to stay in prison for the time being. The apex court’s intervention comes after the Delhi High Court earlier granted him conditional bail and suspended his life sentence, triggering nationwide debate and protests.
The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, stayed the High Court’s December 23 order that had suspended Sengar’s life term in the case involving the rape of a minor in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. The stay effectively halts his potential release from jail as the case continues to be heard at the highest judicial level.
The Unnao case has drawn intense public scrutiny since the crime first came to light in 2017, when the then-MLA was accused and later convicted for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court in December 2019, a sentence that was upheld through subsequent legal processes.
Following the Delhi High Court’s temporary suspension of his sentence and grant of bail — which included strict conditions such as furnishing a personal bond and staying away from the victim’s vicinity — the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the High Court order was legally flawed. The apex court agreed to intervene, citing serious questions of law and public interest.
Victim rights activists and political leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the release, stressing the importance of ensuring justice and safety for survivors of sexual violence. Meanwhile, the case remains sub-judice as legal proceedings continue in the highest court.
Reported by Neha Jaiswal.
