Unnao rape: Delhi HC rejects Kuldeep Sengar's plea to suspend 10-year jail term

NEW DELHI: The Delhi precocious court connected Monday denied bail to erstwhile BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar successful the lawsuit related to the custodial decease of begetter of Unnao rape survivor. Justice Ravinder Dudeja pronounced the order, rejecting Sengar’s plea seeking suspension of sentence.

Sengar has been successful custody since April 13, 2018, and is serving a 10-year jailhouse word successful the custodial decease case, isolated from a beingness condemnation successful the insignificant rape case.The contiguous bail plea relates specifically to the custodial decease conviction.Earlier, connected December 23, 2025, Sengar was granted bail successful the insignificant rape case, but the bid was stayed by the Supreme Court of India connected December 29.The proceedings tribunal had said "no leniency" could beryllium shown for sidesplitting a family's "sole breadstuff earner".It had besides awarded a 10-year jailhouse word to Sengar's brother, Atul Singh Sengar, and 5 others for their relation successful the custodial sidesplitting of the rape survivor's father.Arguments by the victim’s sideAdvocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the rape survivor, opposed immoderate relief, arguing that Sengar’s merchandise would airs a menace to the unfortunate and her family. It was submitted that the subsister continues to look harassment and defamation connected societal media, and that the gravity of the offence and its aftermath regularisation retired bail.

Arguments by Sengar’s counselSenior advocator Manish Vasisth, on with advocator Kanhaiya Singhal, contended that Sengar has already spent astir 9 years successful custody successful this case, with lone astir 11 months of the condemnation remaining. The defence argued that Sengar was not contiguous astatine the spot connected April 3, 2018, erstwhile the battle connected the victim’s begetter took place.It was further submitted that the proceedings tribunal relied connected telephone item grounds involving Sengar’s secretary, Santosh Mishra, who allegedly spoke to him connected the telephone that time but was not examined arsenic a witness.

The defence besides pointed to alleged contradictions successful witnesser statements, questioning their credibility.Sengar’s counsel highlighted that during a little interim suspension of condemnation granted earlier for his daughter’s marriage, helium did not misuse the liberty.Case backgroundThe cases originate from FIRs registered successful 2018 astatine Makhi constabulary presumption successful Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, and were tried by the District and Sessions Judge (West) astatine Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi.According to the prosecution, the insignificant subsister was lured connected the pretext of a occupation connected June 4, 2017, and raped astatine Sengar’s residence. On April 3, 2018, erstwhile the survivor’s household travelled to Unnao for a tribunal hearing, her begetter was allegedly assaulted successful public. He was arrested the adjacent time connected arms possession charges and died successful constabulary custody connected April 9, 2018, owed to aggregate injuries.