New Delhi, Apr 9 (UNI) The Supreme Court declined to pass any order on the plea filed by former
BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar seeking bail and expeditious hearing of his appeal in the Delhi High Court related to the Unnao rape case.
A bench, comprising Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi, on Tuesday questioned the maintainability of Sengar’s special leave petition (SLP), given that he is already serving a life sentence.
“Why should we entertain this SLP when the order which we pass in your favour is a theoretical order of bail? You are already facing a life imprisonment in a case of rape…” the Bench observed.
Senior Advocate Nikhil Goel, appearing for Sengar, argued that the matter had been listed 47 times before the Delhi High Court but had seen no substantial progress.
“The matter never turns up… it’s adjourned again and again, often at 5 or 5:30 in the evening,” he submitted.
However, the Court remained unconvinced. “Is it something unusual? Are you not aware of what is happening?” the Bench remarked, ultimately dismissing the SLP without issuing any directions to the Delhi High Court or granting bail.
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former four-time MLA from Unnao, was convicted in December 2019 for the rape of a minor girl in 2017. He was awarded a life sentence for the offence and a separate 10-year sentence for the custodial death of the victim’s father.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had also dismissed Sengar’s application seeking suspension of sentence in the custodial death case.
The Court noted that Sengar had only served around six years of his 10-year sentence, and considering the gravity of the offences and continued threats to the victim’s family, sentence suspension was not warranted.
The High Court emphasized factors such as the serious nature of the crime, the criminal history of the convict, and the need to uphold public confidence in the justice system.
The Bench noted that the victim’s family remained under CRPF protection due to ongoing security threats.
The High Court’s judgment described how the victim’s father was attacked under the influence and patronage of Sengar and his associates, who beat him with fists and the barrel of a rifle following a confrontation with one of the co-accused.
The case had drawn national outrage after the minor rape survivor was abducted, reportedly sold for Rs 60,000, and later rescued from the Maakhi police station.
Her family faced relentless threats and intimidation. The matter escalated when an unidentified truck collided with the car carrying the victim and her lawyer, killing two of her relatives and critically injuring the survivor.
Following nationwide outrage, the Supreme Court in August 2019 transferred all related cases from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and ordered their expeditious trial within 45 days. Sengar’s conviction marked a major milestone in the protracted legal battle.
