A crucial hearing related to the Unnao rape case in Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to take place today in the Supreme Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the bail granted to the accused, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, by the Delhi High Court.
New Delhi: Legal proceedings have once again intensified in the widely discussed Unnao rape case in India. The CBI has approached the Supreme Court challenging the bail granted to the main accused and former BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The petition is scheduled for hearing in the Supreme Court today, and is being closely watched not only within the country but also internationally.
Hearing in the Supreme Court
A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant will hear the petition filed by the CBI. The bench also includes Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih. The CBI has requested the Supreme Court to cancel the bail granted to Kuldeep Singh Sengar by the Delhi High Court.
Additionally, several petitions have been filed by lawyers in the Supreme Court, challenging the Delhi High Court's order. All these petitions are likely to be heard together today.
Why did the Delhi High Court grant bail?
On December 23rd, the Delhi High Court granted conditional bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The High Court argued that Sengar had already spent nearly seven years and five months in jail and, on this basis, revoked his sentence and granted him bail. Sengar was serving a life sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
However, protests erupted across the country immediately following this decision. Social organizations, women's rights activists, and ordinary citizens have described the decision as against justice.
Rape victim and family protest
The rape victim herself has come forward against the Delhi High Court's decision. On Saturday, she arrived at the CBI office in Delhi, where she submitted a formal application against Kuldeep Singh Sengar's bail. The victim's mother and social activist Yogita Bhayana are with her. The victim, her family, and several activists have been staging a sit-in protest since December 23rd. They state that granting relief to convicts in such cases sends a wrong message not only to the victim but to the entire society.
Protests are taking place in Delhi and several other cities against Kuldeep Singh Sengar's bail. Protesters demand that the Supreme Court intervene in the matter and immediately cancel the accused's bail. Women's organizations say that this case is not just about one individual, but about the safety of women and the credibility of the justice system.
