New Delhi, Jan 16 : The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim bail to former Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is sentenced to life term imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Unnao in 2017, in view of his daughter’s marriage.
A bench of Justice Mukta Gupta, however, raised a concern saying that Sengar daughter’s wedding ceremonies have been scheduled for so many days and everything can be completed in a few days.
Counsel representing Sengar submitted before the court that he is the father and the ceremony dates are given by the pujari.
The HC, on December 22, 2022, issued notice and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to verify the facts of Sengar’s bail plea and place a status report on record.
A division bench of Justices Gupta and Poonam A. Bamba had directed the CBI.
On December 19, Sengar had sought two months’ interim bail from the court for attending his daughter’s wedding, which is scheduled on February 8, 2023, and ceremonies will start on January 18.
Sengar’s plea against the trial court’s order in the rape case is pending in the high court, with him having sought reliefs like quashing of the trial court’s December 16, 2019 judgment, which convicted him, and the December 20, 2019 order sentencing him to imprisonment till the rest of his life.
The trial court had convicted Sengar under various provisions, including Section 376 (2) (rape committed by a public servant) of IPC and also imposed an exemplary fine of Rs 25 lakh on him.
The trial started on August 5, 2019, after the Supreme court on August 1 directed to transfer all five cases related to the matter from Unnao to Delhi.
The top court had directed to hold trial on a daily basis and complete it within 45 days.
