The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case is set to appeal to the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend the jail term of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former BJP leader convicted in the case. The survivor has expressed deep concerns for her and her family's safety following the High Court's order, calling the decision "death" for her family.
On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar's life sentence while his appeal against his 2019 conviction is pending. Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar presided over the bench that granted Sengar bail with specific conditions. Sengar is barred from entering within a five-kilometer radius of the survivor's Delhi residence and from threatening her or her mother. The court has warned that any violation of these conditions would lead to the cancellation of his bail. The High Court granted bail on a personal bond of ₹15 lakh with three sureties of the like amount and directed Sengar to report to the concerned police station every Monday and deposit his passport with the trial court.
Sengar will remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the rape victim's father. The court has directed Sengar to remain in Delhi during the pendency of his appeal and has stated that he must be available to complete his sentence if his conviction is upheld. The bench is likely to hear Sengar's appeal on January 16, 2026.
The rape case and related cases were transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh following a Supreme Court directive in August 2019. Sengar had kidnapped and raped the survivor in 2017 when she was a minor.
During the High Court hearing, the survivor's lawyer argued against the suspension of Sengar's sentence, citing concerns for the safety and well-being of the survivor and her family. The court, however, pointed out that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continues to provide security to the survivor. The court stated, "The Courts cannot keep a person in custody being apprehensive that the police/paramilitary may not do its job properly".
