Unnao Rape Case: The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant any relief to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the custodial death case linked to the Unnao rape survivor’s father, reaffirming the seriousness of the crime and the accountability of those in positions of power.
Sengar had approached the high court seeking suspension of the 10-year rigorous imprisonment awarded to him by a trial court in 2020 for the death of the survivor’s father while in police custody. The court, however, dismissed his plea, making it clear that there was no justification to suspend the sentence at this stage.
On March 13, 2020, the trial court sentenced Sengar to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh in the custodial death case. The court had observed that “no leniency” could be shown in a crime that resulted in the death of a family’s sole breadwinner. The same judgment also sentenced Sengar’s brother, Atul Singh Sengar, along with five other accused, to 10 years in prison for their role in the incident.
The case relates to the arrest of the survivor’s father under the Arms Act in 2018, allegedly at Sengar’s behest. He died in custody on April 9, 2018. The court later concluded that he succumbed to police brutalities during detention. Although the accused were not convicted for murder under the Indian Penal Code, the trial court awarded the maximum punishment under Section 304 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, holding that there was no proven intention to kill.
Kuldeep Sengar is already serving a sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life in the Unnao rape case, in which he was convicted for kidnapping and raping the minor survivor in 2017. His appeal against the December 2019 conviction and sentence is currently pending before the Delhi High Court.
In a related development, the high court had suspended Sengar’s sentence in the rape case on December 23, 2025, pending the outcome of his appeal. However, the Supreme Court stayed that suspension order on December 29, 2025, restoring his imprisonment in the rape case.
With the latest ruling, Sengar continues to remain behind bars in both cases. The decision is being seen as a reaffirmation of judicial resolve in one of the country’s most disturbing cases, which has highlighted issues of political influence, misuse of power, and the need for accountability within the system.
The Delhi High Court rejected Kuldeep Sengar’s plea to suspend his sentence in the custodial death of the Unnao rape survivor’s father. He was sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment in 2020. The survivor’s father died in police custody in April 2018 due to alleged brutalities. Sengar’s life sentence in the rape case remains in force after the Supreme Court stayed a high court suspension order.