Unnao rape case: Delhi court reduces former BJP leader's interim bail period; here's why

On January 16, a bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Poonam A Bamba granted interim bail to Sengar from January 27 to February 10 on account of his daughter's marriage.

The Delhi High Court Friday (January 27) modified its order granting interim bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, serving life term for raping a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017, by asking him to surrender after his daughter's 'tilak' ceremony and then be released again before her marriage.

Earlier the court had granted interim bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar for two weeks. The high court passed the modification order on an application by the victim seeking to recall the interim bail order as she and her family faced threat.

On January 16, a bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Poonam A Bamba granted interim bail to Sengar from January 27 to February 10 on account of his daughter's marriage, directed that the politician shall surrender before jail authorities on February 1 as the 'tilak' ceremony is scheduled on January 30.

It said Sengar shall be again released from jail on February 6 and surrender on February 10 as the wedding is fixed for February 8.

Addressing the court, the victim said, "If Kuldeep Sengar is granted bail, I and the witnesses will be in danger. All the government officials there are his appointees. I request not to release him or else he can get me killed."

Representing the victim, advocate Mehmood Pracha said the threat perception was also there even when Sengar was in custody and while ordinarily people are released from jail in the evening, the politician has been released early in the morning which shows his clout.

Appearing for Sengar, senior advocate Pramod Dubey opposed the victim's plea saying the court has imposed sufficient conditions on the leader while granting him the relief and court may ask him to stay in his house instead of reducing the period.

Sengar has been granted interim bail to attend his daughter's marriage in the rape case as well as in the case in which he is serving 10 years' imprisonment for the death of the Unnao rape victim's father in custody.