Kuldeep Singh Sengar gets bail in Unnao custodial death case

The Delhi High Court granted bail to Sengar who is serving a 10-year sentence for his involvement in the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim’s father, Indian Express reported.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma suspended the sentence from January 27 to February 10 saying Sengar has already been granted interim bail by a division bench of Delhi HC.

“No further directions are required. Petitioner is admitted to interim bail from January 27 to February 10,” Justice Sharma said, according to the report.

A division bench led by Justice Mukta Gupta on Monday (January 16)  granted interim bail to Sengar directing him to report to the station house officer concerned on a daily basis during his bail period.

Sengar’s lawyer senior advocate P K Dubey and lawyer Kanhaiya Singhal urged the court to grant the bail as he needs to make arrangements for the wedding as he is the only male member in the family.

Mehmood Pracha, who appeared for the deceased’s daughter, argued that as per affidavits filed by the UP govt and the Centre before the SC, Sengar’s release could affect the security of the deceased’s family.

Contrary to Sengar’s claim that he is the only male member of the family, his family has four MLA’s so they should be able to oversee his daughter’s wedding, the deceased’s family said.

Pracha said that Sengar is a “vindictive person who can go to any extent” and with their “clout” can cause harm to the deceased’s family.

He argued that Sengar’s daughter is being married into an influential family and hence the possibility of risk has increased since he was granted bail by the division bench.

The former MLA was found guilty of kidnapping and raping a minor girl in 2017 in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

In December 2019, the trial court sentenced Sengar to imprisonment for the remainder of his life in the Unnao rape case.

He has sought quashing of the judgment of the trial court, which is still pending in the high court.