The Supreme Court will hear a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the Delhi High Court’s suspension of life sentence of Unnao rape case accused Kuldeep Sengar, on December 29.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih is slated to hear the plea, as per the apex court’s cause list for the said date.
Additionally, it will also hear a separate petition filed by advocates Anjale Patel and Pooja Shilpkar challenging the high court order of December 23, which suspended Sengar’s life sentence on grounds that he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
The conditional bail included directing him not to come within a 5-km radius of the survivor’s residence in Delhi, not threatening her or her mother, and furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 15 lakh with three sureties of the like amount. Violation of any of the conditions would lead to the cancellation of bail, the high court said.
The CBI had challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court on December 26.
Also Read: Unnao rape case: CBI moves SC against Sengar’s bail
The Delhi High Court had said the life term is suspended till the pendency of Sengar’s appeal challenging his conviction and sentencing of the December 2019 trial court verdict. However, the accused will currently remain in jail in another conviction of 10 years awarded to him for the custodial death of the rape survivor’s father. Sengar’s appeal against this conviction is also pending, where he has sought suspension on the ground that he has already spent a substantial time in jail.
The rape case and other connected cases were transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019.
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