The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suspended the sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is serving life imprisonment in the 2017 Unnao rape case, pending disposal of his appeal, while imposing stringent conditions.
A bench comprising Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar directed Sengar to furnish a personal bond of ₹15 lakh along with three sureties of the same amount, all of whom must be residents of Delhi.
The court restrained Sengar from entering within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence in Delhi and from threatening or contacting the survivor or her mother. It warned that any violation of the conditions would lead to cancellation of bail.
The bench also directed Sengar to remain in Delhi during the pendency of his appeal, deposit his passport with the trial court, and report to the local police station every Monday at 10 am. He was further directed to remain available to serve the remaining sentence if his appeal is dismissed.
Sengar has challenged the December 2019 trial court verdict that convicted him of kidnapping and raping a minor in 2017. The high court has suspended his sentence till the appeal is decided and listed the matter before the appropriate roster bench on January 16, 2026, subject to orders of the Chief Justice.
The rape case and related matters were transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in August 2019 on the directions of the Supreme Court.
Sengar’s appeal against his conviction in the custodial death of the survivor’s father is also pending before the high court. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in that case and has sought suspension of sentence, citing the substantial period already spent in jail.
