The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is gearing up for a swift legal battle in the nation's highest court. The agency will urgently challenge the Delhi High Court's decision to grant bail and suspend the life sentence of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the high-profile Unnao rape case. This development, reported by PTI on Wednesday night, signals a significant escalation in the legal proceedings surrounding the conviction.
Delhi High Court's Bail Order Triggers Swift Response
This legal move by the CBI comes as a direct response to an order passed by the Delhi High Court just a day earlier, on Tuesday. The court had suspended the life imprisonment sentence of Kuldeep Sengar and granted him bail. This decision was made while his appeal, challenging both his conviction and the sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case, is still pending and under consideration by the court.
CBI's Stance and the Road Ahead
Officials familiar with the matter confirmed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is preparing to file its challenge in the Supreme Court immediately. The prosecuting agency is expected to argue against the suspension of the sentence, emphasizing the gravity of the crime and the need for the convict to serve his term while the appeal is heard. The case, which sparked national outrage, involves the rape of a minor girl from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, when Sengar was a sitting MLA.
Legal Implications and Public Scrutiny
The bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the subsequent plan by the CBI to appeal have once again brought the sensitive case under intense public and legal scrutiny. The outcome of the CBI's petition in the Supreme Court will be closely watched, as it will set a precedent for how courts handle bail and sentence suspension for convicts in heinous crimes while their appeals are pending. The legal battle underscores the ongoing pursuit of justice in a case that became emblematic of power and impunity.
This remains a developing news story. Further updates are awaited as the CBI files its plea in the Supreme Court.
