Unnao rape case: CBI challenges Delhi High Court’s bail order for convict Kuldeep Sengar

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi High Court's recent decision to suspend the sentence of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a convict in the Unnao rape case. On December 16, the agency filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the High Court's ruling that granted bail to Sengar.

The Delhi High Court, in a decision made by Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, suspended the sentence and released the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on bail, requiring him to furnish a bond of ₹15 lakh. Sengar had been sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2019 after being convicted for the rape of a 17-year-old girl in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, in 2017. The Delhi High Court suspended his life sentence, citing that Sengar had already served more time than the maximum sentence allowed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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The High Court's decision sparked protests outside its premises on Friday (December 26), as demonstrators voiced strong opposition to granting bail to Sengar. Among them, the victim's mother expressed her anger, saying, "His bail should be rejected. We will appeal to the Supreme Court. We have lost faith in the High Court... If we don’t get justice there, we will look for it elsewhere. The man responsible for my husband's death should face the death penalty."

Footage shared by the news agency ANI showed security forces urging protesters to disperse immediately, warning that legal action would be taken if they failed to leave within five minutes. Women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana, who was at the protest, said, “Women all over India are deeply distressed by the court’s decision to overturn the conviction of a rapist. This same court is where the injustice occurred, so we will seek justice right here.”