Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 19: The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a plea by expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, seeking suspension of his 10-year sentence in the custodial death of the Unnao rape survivor’s father.

A single-judge bench of Justice Ravinder Dudeja dismissed Sengar’s second application for bail and suspension of sentence, citing the gravity of the offence, his prior criminal record, and the absence of any new developments in the case.

While noting that Sengar has served nearly 7.5 years of his sentence, the court observed that delays in hearing his appeal were partly due to his repeated filings, including previous requests to suspend the sentence. Justice Dudeja directed that the appeal be heard expeditiously on merits.

Sengar was convicted by a Delhi court in March 2020 for conspiring in the custodial death of the minor rape victim’s father and sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The trial, along with other Unnao-linked cases, had been transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in August 2019 by the Supreme Court, with a direction for daily proceedings.

The case stems from April 2018, when the victim’s father was allegedly assaulted by Sengar’s associates in Unnao, arrested the following day on charges of illegal possession of arms, and subsequently died in police custody due to multiple injuries.

This is Sengar’s second plea to suspend the sentence. A similar request was rejected in June 2024, with the court emphasizing the severity of the crime, his criminal background, and the need to maintain public confidence in the justice system.

Earlier, in December 2019, Sengar had been convicted in the rape case of a minor girl and sentenced to life imprisonment. Recently, the Delhi High Court had temporarily suspended his life sentence and granted him bail pending appeal, a decision that sparked protests and criticism. The Supreme Court later stayed that order, clarifying that Sengar would remain in custody.