Delhi High Court Denies Kuldeep Singh Sengar's Petition for Sentence Suspension

Court's Decision on Sengar's Petition

On Monday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a request from Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former Bharatiya Janata Party member, to suspend his 10-year prison sentence linked to the custodial death of the father of a complainant in the Unnao rape case.

This ruling follows a previous decision on December 23, when the High Court had temporarily suspended Sengar's life sentence related to the rape case while he appeals his conviction. Despite this, he remained incarcerated due to the ongoing 10-year sentence for the custodial death.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court intervened on December 29, putting a hold on the High Court's suspension order.

During the hearing, Justice Ravinder Dudeja pointed out that Sengar had already served approximately seven and a half years of his 10-year sentence for the custodial death. He acknowledged delays in the appeal process but noted that some of these delays were due to Sengar's own actions, including multiple applications filed by him.

In rejecting Sengar's petition, the judge considered his criminal history and remarked that there had been no significant developments in the case.

Background of the Case

In December 2019, a trial court in Delhi found Sengar guilty of raping a minor in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, in 2017, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Additionally, in March 2020, he and his brother received a 10-year sentence for the murder of the victim's father, who died in custody after being arrested in April 2018, allegedly at Sengar's instigation. The father passed away on April 9, 2018, while in judicial custody.

On June 2024, the High Court again denied Sengar's request for suspension of his sentence related to the custodial death, marking his second unsuccessful attempt for interim relief.