Protests Erupt Outside Delhi High Court Over Bail to Kuldeep Sengar in Unnao Rape Case

Protesters gathered outside the Delhi High Court on Friday, raising slogans against the court’s decision to grant conditional bail to expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape case.

The demonstration followed serious concerns raised by the rape survivor and her family over the suspension of Sengar’s life sentence. Reacting to the court order, the survivor told Hindustan Times, “I am extremely upset by what has happened today in the court,” adding that she felt “extremely unsafe” following the bail decision.

Speaking to ANI, the victim’s mother strongly opposed the order, saying, “His bail should be rejected. We will knock on the doors of the Supreme Court. We have lost faith in the high court. If we don’t get justice in the Supreme Court, we will go to another country. The person guilty of my husband’s murder should be hanged immediately.”

Visuals shared by ANI showed security personnel asking protesters to disperse, warning that legal action would be taken if the demonstration did not end within five minutes.

Women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana, who attended the protest, said, “Women across India are deeply hurt that the sentence of a rapist has been suspended. This happened in this very court, so we will seek justice from the same place where the injustice occurred.”

Another protester questioned the bail order, telling ANI, “On what grounds was Kuldeep Sengar granted bail when it was declared that he had committed rapes and murders? If he was given a life sentence, why is he out? We demand that the rapist be sent back to jail so women feel safe.”

Sengar was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2019 for the rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district in 2017. On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court suspended his life sentence, noting that he had already served more than the maximum punishment prescribed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Although the court barred Sengar from entering within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor, the order triggered fresh fears for her safety. Recalling past incidents, the survivor said, “He is a powerful man. He would get his men to do his dirty work. When my car met with an accident in 2019 in which two of my relatives and my lawyer died, Sengar didn’t do it himself—his henchmen did. Now that he is out, we are all unsafe.”

Now 24 years old and residing in Delhi, the survivor has been provided court-ordered security and is accompanied by five to 11 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at all times. However, her mother said that the security cover earlier provided to her and her three children until March this year was later withdrawn.