Unnao custodial death: Delhi HC grants interim bail to Kuldeep Sengar

New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted two weeks' interim bail to the expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar's in the custodial death case of a rape victim's father, in view of his daughter's wedding.

Sengar was sentenced to life term imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

On Monday, a division bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Poonam A. Bamba had granted Sengar interim bail in connection with the rape matter while imposing certain conditions.

The bench had asked Sengar to report to the concerned Station House Officer on a daily basis during his bail period from January 27 to February 10 and furnish two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each.

The counsel representing Sengar, on January 16, had requested Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma's bench to impose the same condition and allow the bail application in the custodial death matter. However, the bench had adjourned the matter for today.

In the rape matter, moreover, Justice Gupta had raised a concern saying that wedding ceremonies of Sengar's daughters have been scheduled for so many days and everything can be completed in a few days.

In response, the counsel representing Sengar had submitted that he is the father and the ceremony dates are given by the priest.

Two senior advocates namely N. Hariharan and P.K. Dubey, who appeared for Sengar, had informed the court that as Sengar is the only male member in the family, he has to make all the wedding arrangements, which are going to be held in Gorakhpur and Lucknow.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing the CBI had said that a status report has been filed by the agency and it was found that two halls have been booked for the wedding rituals.

The High Court, on December 22, 2022, had issued notice and directed the CBI to verify the facts of Sengar's bail plea and place a status report on record. Justices Gupta and Poonam A. Bamba had directed the CBI.

On December 19 last year, Sengar had sought two months' interim bail from the court for attending his daughter's wedding which is scheduled on February 8, 2023, and ceremonies will start on January 18.

Sengar's plea against the trial court's order in the rape case is pending in the high court with him having sought reliefs like quashing of the trial court's December 16, 2019 judgment, which convicted him, and the December 20, 2019 order sentencing him to imprisonment till the rest of his life.

The trial court had convicted Sengar under various provisions of the IPC and also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on him.

The trial started on August 5, 2019, after the Supreme Court on August 1 directed to transfer all five cases related to the matter from Unnao to Delhi.

The top court had directed to hold trial on a daily basis and complete it within 45 days.