Unnao rape case: SC to hear CBI's challenge against HC's bail to ex-BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar — What is the case?

After massive backlash, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) appeal on December 29, challenging the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape case. A three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will hear the plea of the CBI. This comes after the CBI filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court's December 23, 2025, order that suspended Sengar's life sentence pending appeal and granted him bail. Sengar was convicted in December 2019 in the Unnao rape case and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh. Though granted bail in this case, he will continue to remain in jail as he is serving a 10-year sentence in another CBI case related to murder.

Also Read: Unnao rape case- Why did Delhi HC suspend life sentence of Kuldeep Singh Sengar?

What rape survivor told CBI?

The victim of the 2017 Unnao rape case, along with her mother, met officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the national capital on Saturday and submitted a complaint alleging that the investigating officer (IO) colluded with a judge to ensure the accused side wins. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the victim said she had sought to meet a senior official but was told it was a holiday and that she should return on Monday. However, she said a junior official accepted her complaint."The junior official has received my application and said that the senior official will meet on Monday," the victim told ANI. Alleging serious misconduct, she claimed that the Investigating Officer (IO) had acted against her interests. "The complaint is that the investigating officer has wronged me. He colluded with the judge to ensure that the other party won, so that the rape victim would lose, her courage would be broken, and she would not be able to pursue the case further," the victim pointed out.
The victim's mother also spoke to ANI, stating that they are ready to go to the Supreme Court. "They have received my complaint. Now we have to see when the authority meets us. We trust the Supreme Court," she said. She further added that while the CBI is handling the matter, the family's faith would depend on whether the agency stands by them during legal proceedings. "The CBI is there, but I will only trust them if they stand by my side in the Supreme Court," the victim's mother added.

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

What was Delhi HC's decision?

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.

Protest after Delhi HC's decision

Protest erupted after the High Court's decision outside its premises, with demonstrators voicing strong opposition to granting bail to Sengar. 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. Earlier, the rape survivor and her mother were forcefully removed by the Delhi Police from a protest site near India Gate, according to reports.

What is Unnao rape case?

The Unnao rape case refers to the 2017 abduction and rape of a 17-year-old minor girl in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, India, by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a then-sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite reporting the crime, local police initially refused to name Sengar in the First Information Report (FIR). In April 2018, the survivor attempted to self-immolate herself outside the residence of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to protest police inaction. Shortly after, her father died in judicial custody following an assault by Sengar’s brother and associates. In 2019, when the hearing of the case was going on, a truck with blackened license plates rammed into the survivor’s car while she was traveling to court. Two of her aunts were killed, and the survivor was critically injured.