Delhi High Court Rejects Kuldeep Sengar's Plea To Suspend Sentence In Unnao Custodial Death Case

In a major setback for Unnao rape case accused Kuldeep Sengar, the Delhi High Court on Monday rejected his petition seeking suspension of sentence in the custodial death case. The case involves the death of the rape case victim's father in custody.

Sengar has been in judicial custody since April 13, 2018 and is serving ten years jail term in the Unnao rape victim's father's custodial death case.

The relief was denied by the court of Justice Ravinder Dudeja after the verdict was reserved on November 6.

Earlier on December 23, Sengar was granted bail in a minor rape case by the High Court which sparked a massive uproar. The bail was challenged in the Supreme Court by the CBI. On December 29, the apex court stayed the bail order.

Appearing for the rape victim, Advocate Mehmood Pracha had argued that bail to Sengar poses a threat to the victim and to her family. He added that the victim is being harassed on social media and defamed by levelling allegations against her.

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Sengar's counsel, Manish Vasisth and Kanhaiya Singhal, on the other hand, opposed the submissions made by counsel for the victim.

They argued that appellant Sengar has been in custody for the last nine years and that only 11 months are left to his sentence.

Earlier, the counsel for Sengar had also argued that the appellant was not present at the site on April 3, 2018.

Sengar's counsel also submitted that the trial court relied on Section 61 of Crpc of Appellant's secretary Santosh Mishra. He talked to the appellant on the phone on the day of the incident when he was not there. However, he was not examined by the court, according to the news agency ANI.

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The counsel for Sengar had also argued that there were contradiction in the statement of two witnesses, highlighting a lack of credibility and reliability.

Sengar was convicted for 10 years by the Tis Hazari Court in 2018. Apart from that, he is also serving a life sentence in the rape case.

(With ANI Inputs)