New Delhi, February 19 – The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notices in a plea filed by the Unnao rape survivor seeking to enhance the sentence awarded to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the custodial death case of her father.
A division bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Sengar, and other convicts, and fixed the matter for further hearing on March 2.
The plea filed by the survivor challenges the sentence awarded to Sengar and seeks to increase the 10-year rigorous imprisonment imposed on him by a Delhi court.
Sengar was convicted in March 2020 for conspiring in the custodial death of the rape survivor's father and sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment.
The case relates to an incident in April 2018 when the father of the minor rape victim was allegedly assaulted by Sengar's associates in Unnao. He was arrested the following day on charges of illegal possession of arms and later died in police custody after sustaining multiple injuries.
The trial, along with other cases arising out of the Unnao rape incident, had been transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi by the Supreme Court to ensure a fair and expeditious trial.
Earlier in January, the Delhi High Court had rejected Sengar's second application seeking suspension of sentence and grant of bail, citing the gravity of the offense, his criminal antecedents, and the absence of any new subsequent developments.
The Supreme Court had also declined to suspend Sengar's sentence, while noting that his criminal appeal against conviction was already pending before the Delhi High Court.
In an order passed on January 9, a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) had requested the Delhi High Court to endeavour to decide Sengar’s appeal as expeditiously as possible, preferably within three months.
The apex court had observed that if the survivor’s appeal challenging the sentence is found maintainable, it would be in the interest of justice for all connected appeals to be heard together and decided expeditiously.
Sengar is also serving imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life following his conviction in December 2019 in the rape case involving a minor girl.
