In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has stayed the operation of the Delhi High Court’s order that had suspended the life sentence and granted bail to expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
The order was passed by a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice J.K. Maheshwari, and Justice Augustine George Masih.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had moved the top court challenging the December 23 order of the Delhi High Court. The High Court had allowed Sengar’s application seeking the suspension of his sentence during the pendency of his appeal against the conviction.
The investigative agency approached the Supreme Court seeking an urgent stay on the relief granted to the convict, arguing against his release.
The matter was taken up by the vacation bench amid heavy security arrangements outside the court premises. After hearing the plea filed by the CBI, the bench decided to put the bail granted to the convict on hold.
The Supreme Court’s intervention effectively halts Sengar’s release from prison, reinstating the status quo regarding his incarceration while the appeal process continues.
The case dates back to 2017 involving the rape of a minor in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, for which Kuldeep Singh Sengar was convicted. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime, which had sparked nationwide outrage. Sengar was subsequently expelled from the BJP following the allegations and investigation.
While the Delhi High Court had recently granted him relief by suspending his sentence pending appeal, the apex court’s latest direction ensures that the life sentence remains in effect for the time being.
