The daughter of Kuldeep Sengar, the expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator convicted in the horrific 2017 Unnao rape case, has made a desperate public appeal for justice. This comes just after the Supreme Court of India intervened to block his potential release from prison.
Supreme Court Halts High Court Order
On Monday, a vacation bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, put an immediate stop to a Delhi High Court order. The High Court had earlier suspended the life sentence handed to Kuldeep Sengar. The apex court noted that Sengar is currently incarcerated in connection with another case and ruled that the operation of the High Court order shall be stayed. The court explicitly stated that Sengar shall not be released from prison as a result of this decision.
A Daughter's Exhaustion and Plea
Following this legal development, Sengar's daughter, Ishita, took to social media platform X to publish an emotional open letter. She identified herself as a daughter who is "exhausted, frightened, and slowly losing faith, but still holding on to hope because there is nowhere else left to go." Her letter paints a poignant picture of a family she describes as having been "voiceless" for the past eight years, a period that aligns with the timeline of the case that shook the nation.
Implications and Public Sentiment
In her post, Ishita Sengar hinted that the Supreme Court's decision to stay the release may have been influenced by significant public outrage surrounding the case. The Unnao rape case, due to the involvement of a powerful political figure and the brutal attack on the survivor, has remained a focal point for discussions on justice and political impunity in India. The Supreme Court's swift action ensures the convict remains behind bars for now, but the daughter's letter underscores the ongoing trauma and uncertainty faced by the families involved. This remains a developing story with further legal proceedings expected.
