The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to urgently approach the Supreme Court of India to challenge a Delhi High Court order that suspended the life sentence of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and granted him bail in the notorious 2017 Unnao rape case. Officials confirmed the decision on Wednesday, following a detailed examination of the high court's ruling.
CBI's Legal Strategy and Immediate Response
After scrutinizing the order passed by a division bench of the Delhi High Court, the central investigating agency decided to file a special leave petition (SLP) before the apex court. The CBI aims to get the high court's decision set aside, arguing that the conviction and life sentence awarded to Sengar in December 2019 must remain in force during the appeal process. The agency, along with the survivor's family, had strongly opposed Sengar's appeal in the high court, raising significant concerns over safety and alleged threats.
Bail Conditions and Continued Incarceration
Despite the bail order from the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, Kuldeep Sengar will remain in jail. This is because he is separately serving a 10-year prison term in a connected case concerning the custodial death of the rape survivor's father. The high court suspended his life sentence, noting he had already spent approximately seven years and five months in prison. The suspension will be effective until his appeal against the conviction is finally decided.
The court granted bail with stringent conditions, including execution of a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties of the same amount. It also prohibited Sengar from coming within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor's residence in Delhi and restrained him from issuing any threats to her or her mother.
Victim's Anguish and Political Outreach
The high court's order has triggered profound distress and fear for the survivor and her family. The survivor described the suspension of Sengar's sentence as "kaal" or death for her family. She has vowed to approach the Supreme Court as well, asserting that such decisions deepen the fear among survivors of sexual violence and undermine their sense of justice.
In a powerful demonstration of protest, the survivor and her mother staged a sit-in in the national capital. They later met with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to seek support for their ongoing legal battle. The survivor alleged that security for her family and legal team had already been withdrawn, and the court's decision has drastically heightened their safety concerns.
The legal saga, which was transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in August 2019 on the Supreme Court's directions, now heads back to the highest court. The CBI's impending appeal sets the stage for a crucial judicial showdown, with the agency reiterating its firm stand that the conviction in this harrowing case must not be diluted.
