New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday (January 19, 2026) dismissed the bail plea of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the custodial death of the Unnao rape survivor's father. The court refused to suspend Sengar's 10-year prison sentence, emphasizing that the gravity of the offence and his past conduct did not warrant such relief.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja, while pronouncing the order, observed that although Sengar has spent approximately seven and a half years in custody, the delay in hearing his appeal was partly due to the multiple applications filed by the convict himself.
Sengar’s legal team had argued for the suspension of his sentence on the grounds of prolonged incarceration. They pointed out that out of a 10-year sentence, Sengar had already served a significant portion and only about 11 months remained if certain remissions were considered.
However, Justice Dudeja was not inclined to grant relief. The judge noted:
"While the court is conscious of the appellant's long incarceration, relief cannot be given on grounds of delay alone, especially when the delay was partly because he filed multiple applications during the pendency of his appeal."
The court further stated that the best course of action would be to hear the main appeal against his conviction on merits in an "expeditious manner." The matter has now been listed for further hearing on February 3, 2026
The case dates back to April 2018, when the father of the Unnao rape survivor was brutally assaulted in broad daylight by Sengar’s brother, Atul Singh Sengar, and others. Following the assault, instead of providing protection to the victim's family, the local police arrested the father under the Arms Act, allegedly at the behest of Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
The father died in hospital on April 9, 2018, while in police custody, due to internal injuries caused by the brutality. In March 2020, a Delhi trial court convicted Sengar and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and framing false evidence. The trial court had remarked that "no leniency" could be shown for the killing of a family’s "sole bread earner."
The Larger Unnao Scandal
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a once-powerful political figure in Uttar Pradesh, was the primary accused in the 2017 kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in Unnao. The survivor and her family faced a series of life-threatening events following their pursuit of justice:
- The Rape: In June 2017, the minor was allegedly lured to Sengar’s house under the pretext of a job and was raped.
- The Custodial Death: As mentioned, the survivor's father died in 2018 following police brutality.
- The Truck Collision: In July 2019, a truck with a blackened number plate rammed into a car carrying the survivor, her lawyer, and two aunts. While the aunts died, the survivor and lawyer were critically injured.
Following massive public outrage, the Supreme Court of India intervened in August 2019, transferring all related cases from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi for a fair and fast-tracked trial.
In December 2019, Sengar was convicted for the rape of the minor and sentenced to life imprisonment (rigorous imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life).
Interestingly, on December 23, 2025, a separate bench of the Delhi High Court had granted Sengar bail (suspension of sentence) in the rape case, citing the time already served. However, this order was quickly challenged by the CBI, and the Supreme Court stayed Sengar's release on December 29, 2025. The top court had raised "substantial questions of law" regarding whether an MLA should be treated as a "public servant" under the POCSO Act, which could affect the severity of the sentence.
Senior Advocate Manish Vashisht, appearing for Sengar, argued that the former MLA was not present at the site of the assault on April 3, 2018. The defense also challenged the credibility of the witnesses and argued that the trial court relied on call records that were not properly verified.
On the other hand, Advocate Mehmood Pracha, representing the victim, vehemently opposed the bail. He argued that Sengar still wields significant influence and that his release would pose a direct threat to the safety of the survivor and her family, who are already living under constant fear and facing harassment on social media.
With the High Court’s latest refusal to suspend his sentence in the custodial death case, Kuldeep Singh Sengar will remain behind bars at Tihar Jail. While his legal team continues to push for a final hearing of the appeals, the survivor’s family has welcomed the decision, viewing it as a necessary step to maintain public confidence in the judicial system.
Case Title: Kuldeep Singh Sengar v. Central Bureau of Investigation Bench: Justice Ravinder Dudeja