CBI Seeks Supreme Court Review Of Unnao Case Bail Suspension

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a Special Leave Petition with the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend Kuldeep Singh Sengar's life sentence in the Unnao rape case, as survivors and supporters advocate for continued accountability and justice through the apex court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has asked the Supreme Court to cancel the bail granted to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case, challenging the Delhi High Court order that suspended Sengar’s life sentence after he spent seven years and five months in jail.

The agency has filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court, arguing against the relief given to Sengar while his appeal against conviction remains pending. The petition follows public criticism and protests over the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the sentence and allow bail.

Unnao rape case: CBI challenge to Delhi High Court order

Earlier this week, the CBI confirmed that it had examined the judgment delivered by the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court and decided to move the Supreme Court. "CBI has studied the orders of the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court in the Unnao Rape Case and has decided to file an SLP before the Hon'ble Supreme Court at the earliest against the orders of the High Court granting bail to the accused Kuldeep Sengar by suspension of the sentence," a CBI spokesperson had said in a statement.

The Delhi High Court had on Tuesday suspended the jail term of Sengar, who is serving life imprisonment after a 2019 conviction. The court noted that Sengar has already undergone seven years and five months in prison and ordered that the sentence would remain suspended during the hearing of his appeal against the trial court verdict.

Unnao rape case: protests and survivor’s family reaction

The order sparked demonstrations outside the Delhi High Court, where several protesters, including women’s rights activists and the Unnao rape survivor’s mother, gathered with placards. They shouted slogans such as "Balatkariyo ko sanrakshan dena band kro" in support of the survivor, expressing anger over the decision to grant bail to Sengar.

The survivor’s mother said she joined the protest because the family had suffered deeply since the assault and the events that followed. Holding a placard, she said that her daughter had endured immense suffering. "I am not blaming the entire high court, but only the two judges whose decision has shattered our trust," she said, adding, "This is an injustice towards our family. We will approach the Supreme Court, as I have faith in it."

The survivor, who was a minor when the Unnao rape case incident took place in 2017, said the suspension of Sengar’s life term would not scare her. She said she intended to keep fighting. The survivor said she had "blind faith" in the Supreme Court and would go there again seeking justice.

Unnao rape case: survivor questions bail and raises safety concerns

As a citizen, the survivor said the bail order allowed her to question the system. Asserting her right to raise questions as a citizen, she said, "It is my right and the right of the public to ask these questions. Not every judge is like this." The survivor said the bail order had endangered her family's safety and livelihood. "This order has caged me and many women like me. It poses a threat to my family. My husband has also lost his job. What are we supposed to do?" she said.

Emphasising trust in the top court, the survivor said the family would challenge the Delhi High Court decision there. Expressing faith in the apex court, the survivor said she would challenge the order before it."We will approach the Supreme Court, and I have blind faith in it. The Supreme Court has given me justice before, and I am confident it will do so again," she said.

Unnao rape case: key conditions in Delhi High Court bail order

A Division Bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar ordered the suspension of Sengar’s sentence and granted bail, subject to strict terms. Sengar was directed to furnish a bail bond of Rs 15 lakh as part of the conditions attached to his release.

The High Court said Sengar, a former BJP MLA, must not enter within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence. The court also directed that Sengar must not threaten or contact the survivor or the survivor’s mother. Any breach of these directions, the court said, would automatically lead to cancellation of his bail.

Unnao rape case: background, timeline and CBI role

The Unnao rape case began in 2017 after a teenager accused then BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of raping her at Sengar’s residence. The survivor later alleged that there were attempts to force the family to withdraw the complaint, and that the local police initially refused to register the case, leading the family to seek help from senior authorities and the courts.

The case drew national attention in April 2018, when the survivor’s father died in police custody a day after being arrested following a clash with Sengar’s supporters. The death, along with claims of pressure, threats and misuse of influence, triggered widespread protests and criticism of the local administration’s handling of the Unnao rape case, after which the investigation was transferred to the CBI on court directions.

In 2019, a special CBI court convicted Sengar in the Unnao rape case and sentenced Sengar to life imprisonment. Sengar later challenged that December 2019 verdict before the Delhi High Court, and the suspension of the sentence is linked to that ongoing appeal, which remains pending while the Supreme Court now considers the CBI’s challenge to the bail.