Surrender on 20 Jan as directed: Delhi HC to Kuldeep Sengar in Unnao rape case

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to extend the interim bail granted to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar on medical grounds in the 2017 Unnao rape case and asked him to surrender.

A bench of justices Pratibha M. Singh and Dharmesh Sharma recused from hearing Sengar's plea seeking further extension of the relief and directed for the matter to be placed before another bench on 27 January.

In 2019, Justice Dharmesh Sharma, being the trial court judge, convicted and sentenced Sengar in the case. "We are not indulging. You surrender first, we (high court) will consider," Justice Singh said.

Sengar's counsel sought extension on the ground that he was scheduled to undergo eye surgery in AIIMS next week. "AIIMS will give you another date", the court said.

The CBI counsel said while extending the interim bail on 20 December by a month, the high court said no further extension should be granted and asked Sengar to surrender before the jail superintendent on 20 January.

The politician, who is serving a life term in the case, was granted a two-week interim bail in early December on account of his health, which was subsequently extended by another month.

Sengar's plea for extension of interim bail formed part of his appeal against the December 2019 trial court's verdict in the rape case is pending before the high court. He has sought its quashing.

His plea seeking extension of interim bail in the connected case related to the custodial death of the survivor's father is also pending before another bench.

The minor girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017. The rape case and other connected cases were transferred to Delhi from a UP trial court on the directions of the Supreme Court on 1 August 2019.