Unnao Rape Case: SC Stays Delhi HC Order Suspending Life Sentence of Kuldeep Sengar

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court order that had suspended the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case involving a minor girl, and issued notice to him on a plea filed by the CBI challenging the relief.

A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih said Sengar shall not be released from custody pursuant to the high court’s December 23 order, noting that the matter raised substantial questions of law requiring consideration.

The bench issued notice to Sengar seeking his response to the CBI’s appeal and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, urged the court to stay the high court order, which the bench agreed to examine.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had suspended Sengar’s life imprisonment sentence, observing that he had already served about seven years and five months in jail. The suspension was granted till the disposal of his appeal against the December 2019 trial court verdict convicting him in the rape case.

However, Sengar will continue to remain in prison as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the victim’s father and has not been granted bail in that matter.

The Unnao rape case and related cases were transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on the Supreme Court’s directions on August 1, 2019. (Agencies)