The Delhi High Court on Wednesday listed for February 17 the hearing on appeals filed by expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar and others challenging their conviction in the custodial death case of the Unnao rape survivor’s father.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, noting the Supreme Court’s February 9 directive to decide the matter within three months, remarked, “It is a time-bound case now.” However, the hearing was deferred for clarity as the survivor’s plea for enhancement of the 10-year sentence is pending before a division bench and is scheduled for hearing in March.
Sengar’s counsel suggested that, in view of the apex court’s order, the survivor should also seek early hearing of her appeal, and both matters could then be taken up together by the division bench.
In the meantime, the court extended the interim bail of Kuldeep Sengar’s brother and co-convict, Jaideep Sengar alias Atul Singh, until February 17. Jaideep had sought a three-month extension citing treatment for oral cancer. His interim bail, first granted on July 3, 2024, had been extended periodically.
Kuldeep Sengar, a former MLA from Uttar Pradesh, was convicted on December 20, 2019, for raping a minor girl in 2017 and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life.
The present case concerns the death of the rape survivor’s father in custody on April 9, 2018. He was arrested under the Arms Act, allegedly at Sengar’s behest, and died due to injuries sustained from custodial assault. The trial court had concluded that police brutality led to his death.
On March 13, 2020, a Delhi court sentenced both Kuldeep and Jaideep Sengar to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the custodial death case and imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh. The trial judge had observed that “no leniency” could be shown for causing the death of the family’s “sole bread earner.”
On February 9, 2026, the Supreme Court declined to entertain Sengar’s plea against the Delhi High Court’s refusal to suspend his sentence. However, it directed the high court to decide his appeal within three months. The top court also noted that if the survivor’s family had filed an appeal seeking enhancement of the sentence, it should be heard along with Sengar’s appeal.
