NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Delhi high court order granting bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the Unnao rape case.A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice A G Masih, while hearing a plea challenging suspension of Sengar’s sentence, asked the former MLA to file a response within four weeks and posted the matter for hearing in the last week of January. Unnao Rape Case: Activists Protest Outside Delhi High Court Over Sengar Bail “Tentatively, we are inclined to stay the order. Generally, the principle is that once a person has walked out, the court does not take away liberty,” CJI Kant said.“But here, the situation is peculiar since he is inside the jail for another case,” he added.This came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved the top court following the Delhi high court’s decision to suspend Sengar’s life sentence in the rape case.Representing the central probing agency, solicitor general Tushar Mehta urged the apex court to stay the high court order, calling the incident a “very horrific case.” “This is a horrific case of rape of a child. Charges were framed under Section 376 of the IPC and Sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act,” Mehta said.“Conviction is on two counts. I have quoted all relevant parts. Paragraph 3 of my note has the conviction order. There is a finding recorded which says the child was less than 16 years old — 15 years and 10 months. Against this conviction, the appeal is pending,” he added.Mehta further argued that Sengar was a public servant at the time of the incident and pleaded for a minimum sentence of 20 years.“‘Public servant’ is not defined in the POCSO Act by reference. Whatever is defined in the IPC will be the definition. Public servant would mean a person in a dominant position over a child,” he said.A division bench of the Delhi high court, comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, while pronouncing the order, had noted that Sengar had already served seven years and five months in prison.The court ordered that the suspension of sentence would remain in force while his appeal against conviction is pending. While the high court granted him bail in the rape case, Sengar will continue to remain in jail as he is serving a separate 10-year sentence in a CBI case related to the custodial death of the survivor’s father. His appeal in that case, along with a plea seeking suspension of sentence, is also pending.The high court imposed several conditions while granting bail, including a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties, a direction not to enter a 5-km radius of the survivor’s residence in Delhi, and a strict bar on threatening the survivor or her mother.In December 2019, former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Called Chinki, Chinese, Momo’: Tripura Student’s Killing In Dehradun Triggers Protests Across StateBangladesh Faces Political Rupture As Student Leaders Back Jamaat While Minority Attacks ContinueAt Least One Dead After Fire Engulfs 2 Coaches Of Ernakulam Express With 158 On Board In Andhra“Violence Being Used to Stop Polls”: Ex-Spy Lucky Bisht on Bangladesh KillingsOwaisi Urges Protection of Bangladesh Minorities Ahead of February Polls‘Love Jihad Claim False’: UP Woman Speaks Out After Bajrang Dal Crashes BirthdayUnnao Rape Case: Activists Protest Outside Delhi High Court Over Sengar BailShashi Tharoor Responds To Digvijaya Singh, Says Congress Needs Discipline, Not Lessons From RSSPakistan FM Says Islamabad Will Proactively Rebuild Relations With Bangladesh Post PollsHadi Killing: Dhaka Police Say Main Accused Escaped to India via Meghalaya123Photostories‘Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra’, ‘Laalo’ to ‘Su From So’: Regional movies that won hearts in 20255 major wedding trends of 2025 that might be seen in 2026 too10 most ordered dishes of 2025Asthma vs bronchitis: Key differences in symptoms and treatment methods10 countries with the highest number of snake species in the worldHow to make South Indian Spinach Idli for breakfastCeleb babies who broke the internet with their arrival in 2025Gadar, Border, Masti; Bollywood sequels that turned one film into sequelsDisturbing facts about common things in your homeHow to use AI to create romantic couple poses and pictures: 5 effective prompts123Hot PicksSilver price todayPAN-Aadhaar linkingCristiano RonaldoGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundIndian Railways fareBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingMatt Hardy and Reby Sky Net WorthTravis KelcePatrick MahomesRobert Kraft & Gayle Benson Net WorthAjit PawarLebron JamesWWE Raw PreviewNavjot Singh SidhuChloe KimNew York Yankees
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Delhi high court order granting bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the Unnao rape case.A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice A G Masih, while hearing a plea challenging suspension of Sengar’s sentence, asked the former MLA to file a response within four weeks and posted the matter for hearing in the last week of January.
“Tentatively, we are inclined to stay the order. Generally, the principle is that once a person has walked out, the court does not take away liberty,” CJI Kant said.“But here, the situation is peculiar since he is inside the jail for another case,” he added.This came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved the top court following the Delhi high court’s decision to suspend Sengar’s life sentence in the rape case.Representing the central probing agency, solicitor general Tushar Mehta urged the apex court to stay the high court order, calling the incident a “very horrific case.”
“This is a horrific case of rape of a child. Charges were framed under Section 376 of the IPC and Sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act,” Mehta said.“Conviction is on two counts. I have quoted all relevant parts. Paragraph 3 of my note has the conviction order. There is a finding recorded which says the child was less than 16 years old — 15 years and 10 months. Against this conviction, the appeal is pending,” he added.Mehta further argued that Sengar was a public servant at the time of the incident and pleaded for a minimum sentence of 20 years.“‘Public servant’ is not defined in the POCSO Act by reference. Whatever is defined in the IPC will be the definition. Public servant would mean a person in a dominant position over a child,” he said.A division bench of the Delhi high court, comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, while pronouncing the order, had noted that Sengar had already served seven years and five months in prison.The court ordered that the suspension of sentence would remain in force while his appeal against conviction is pending. While the high court granted him bail in the rape case, Sengar will continue to remain in jail as he is serving a separate 10-year sentence in a CBI case related to the custodial death of the survivor’s father. His appeal in that case, along with a plea seeking suspension of sentence, is also pending.The high court imposed several conditions while granting bail, including a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties, a direction not to enter a 5-km radius of the survivor’s residence in Delhi, and a strict bar on threatening the survivor or her mother.In December 2019, former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh.
