Protest outside Delhi High Court over bail to Unnao rape convict Kuldeep Sengar

A protest was held outside the Delhi High Court on Friday against the suspension of the sentence of Kuldeep Sengar, who is serving a life term following his conviction in the Unnao rape case.

Demonstrators gathered near the court premises holding placards and raising slogans condemning what they described as protection being extended to rapists. The protest was organised in support of the Unnao rape survivor and drew participation from women activists of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, social activist Yogita Bhayana, and the survivor’s mother.

Speaking to reporters, the survivor’s mother said she had come to oppose the court’s decision as her daughter had suffered greatly. While clarifying that she was not criticising the judiciary as a whole, she said the order passed by the two judges had deeply shaken the family’s trust.

She said earlier judicial orders had brought justice to the family, but the latest decision granting bail to the convict amounted to an injustice. The family, she added, would move the Supreme Court, expressing faith in the apex court.

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court ordered the release of Sengar, a former Bharatiya Janata Party legislator, on bail while his appeal against the December 2019 conviction remains pending. The court imposed strict conditions, including a directive that he must not enter within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence or attempt to threaten the survivor or her mother, warning that any breach would lead to automatic cancellation of bail.

Despite the order, Sengar will continue to remain in prison as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in a separate case relating to the custodial death of the survivor’s father, in which he has not been granted bail.

With PTI inputs