Fresh public anger erupted in the national capital after legal relief granted to former BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar reignited debate around justice in the Unnao rape case. On Friday, a group of protesters gathered near the Delhi High Court, objecting to the suspension of Sengar’s sentence during the hearing of his appeal.
Police officials intervened quickly, warning demonstrators that protests are not permitted in the vicinity of the court complex. Using loudspeakers, authorities cautioned that legal action would follow if the gathering continued and advised protesters to shift their demonstration to Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the city.
The controversy intensified after the survivor announced her decision to challenge the High Court’s order before the Supreme Court. Describing the ruling as devastating for her family, she said the decision felt like a death sentence for their pursuit of justice and confirmed that a legal appeal would be filed at the earliest.
Although the High Court has temporarily suspended Sengar’s life sentence in the rape case, he will not be released from prison immediately. Sengar remains incarcerated due to a separate conviction related to the custodial death of the survivor’s father, in which he is serving a ten-year sentence and has not received bail.
Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court granted Sengar interim relief while hearing his appeal against the 2019 conviction. The court, however, laid down strict conditions, including barring him from approaching the survivor or entering her vicinity and restricting his movement to Delhi. He has also been instructed to report regularly to the police, with a clear warning that any violation would result in immediate cancellation of relief.
Tensions escalated further on December 23 night when the survivor, her mother, and social activist Yogita Bhayana were briefly detained by Delhi Police after staging a protest at India Gate, demanding reversal of the court’s decision.
Sengar was convicted for crimes committed in 2017 when the survivor was a minor. The trial court, in 2019, sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a substantial financial penalty, citing the gravity of the offence and abuse of political power.
