The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea on Monday, questioning the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the life sentence awarded to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape case. The matter is expected to be heard by a three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih.

Sengar, who was convicted in December 2019, is serving a life term for the rape of a minor. On December 23, the Delhi High Court put his sentence on hold, noting that he had already spent more than seven years in prison. The court granted him conditional bail while his appeal against the conviction remains pending.

Reacting to the development, the survivor expressed hope that the apex court would uphold justice. She stated that her fight represents the voice of countless women and recalled the hardships faced by her family over the years, including the death of her father, threats to relatives and witnesses, loss of security, and the impact on her children’s safety.

The case has once again sparked public anger, with women activists staging protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding accountability and justice for the survivor.

The case dates back to 2017, when the survivor accused Sengar of raping her at his residence. Despite her complaint, no immediate action was taken, leading her to attempt self-immolation outside the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s residence in April 2018, an incident that drew nationwide attention. Shortly after, her father died in judicial custody, with the family alleging he was assaulted by Sengar’s supporters.

In 2019, during the trial, the survivor was critically injured in a road accident when a truck rammed into her vehicle, killing two of her aunts. The CBI later described the crash as a deliberate attempt to eliminate her. Owing to the gravity of the circumstances, the Supreme Court transferred the trial from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, where Sengar was eventually convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Although the high court has suspended his life sentence in the rape case, Sengar will remain behind bars as he is also serving a separate 10-year sentence related to the custodial death of the survivor’s father, in which he has not been granted bail.