The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of former Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape case involving a minor, Live Law reported.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih was hearing a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation challenging the December 23 High Court order.
The bench asked Sengar’s counsel to file a response in four weeks.
The court also directed that the woman be given legal aid, The Hindu reported.
The High Court had suspended the sentence and granted bail to Sengar while the former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA’s appeal against conviction is being heard. However, Sengar was directed not to travel within a five-km radius of the complainant’s home.
Despite the High Court order, Sengar was to remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in connection with the custodial death of the complainant’s father and has not been granted bail in that case.
The High Court had observed that, on the face of it, the facts of the case did not fulfil the conditions required to apply the stricter offence of “aggravated penetrative sexual assault” under Section 5 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. This was because Sengar did not fall within…
Source: Unnao rape case: Supreme Court stays HC order suspending sentence of former BJP MLA
