New Delhi, December 28 (ANI): The Supreme Court will hear the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea on December 29 challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the life sentence of expelled BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
A three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is scheduled to take up the matter. The CBI has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the Delhi High Court’s December 23 order granting suspension of Sengar’s life sentence pending appeal and allowing him bail.
Sengar was convicted in December 2019 by a Delhi CBI court for raping a minor and was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh. Although bail has been granted in this case, he will continue to remain in jail as he is currently serving a 10-year sentence in another CBI case related to murder.
Amid the legal developments, the Unnao rape survivor and her mother met CBI officials in the national capital on Saturday and submitted a complaint alleging serious misconduct by the investigating officer (IO). The victim alleged that the IO colluded with a judge to weaken the case and ensure that the accused side benefited.
Speaking to reporters, the survivor said she had sought a meeting with a senior CBI official but was informed that it was a holiday and asked to return on Monday. “A junior official received my application and said the senior official will meet me on Monday,” she said.
The victim further alleged that the investigating officer acted against her interests. “The IO colluded with the judge so that the accused would win, my courage would be broken, and I would not be able to pursue the case,” she claimed.
Her mother said the family is prepared to approach the Supreme Court and expressed cautious faith in the legal process. “They have received my complaint. We trust the Supreme Court. I will only trust the CBI if it stands by us in the Supreme Court,” she said.
The High Court’s decision has triggered strong reactions from women’s rights activists and protesters. On Saturday, activist Yogita Bhayana accused the government of shielding influential accused persons and called the suspension of sentence a “setback to women’s justice.”
Speaking to ANI, Bhayana said, “This is injustice not only to the Unnao victim but to all victims in the country. Powerful people manipulate the system, and accountability disappears when political influence is involved.”
She also linked the issue to other high-profile cases, alleging a pattern of protection for powerful individuals. “We will raise this issue at the national level. Victims’ voices cannot be ignored anymore,” she said.
Earlier, women activists staged protests outside the Delhi High Court, demanding immediate reconsideration of the order suspending Sengar’s sentence. Heavy police deployment was seen in the area as protesters raised slogans against the court order and the government.
With the Supreme Court set to hear the matter on December 29, the case has once again drawn national attention to issues of judicial accountability, victim protection, and the handling of crimes involving political influence.
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