Unnao rape case Ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar seeks interim bail for daughter’s wedding

“List this application before a bench in which one of us, namely, Justice Talwant Singh, is not a member subject to obtaining directions of the chief justice,” the bench said, listing the matter for Thursday.

Sengar has moved the court seeking interim bail for two months for his daughter’s marriage scheduled for February 8, 2023. He has also informed the court that the marriage ceremonies will begin in January 2023.

Sengar has challenged the trial court’s December 16, 2019, order that found him guilty of raping the minor girl and the December 20, 2019, order that sentenced him to “life imprisonment till the remainder of his biological life”.

The court found Sengar guilty of rape under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 5(c) and 6 of the POCSO Act, holding that the victim’s testimony was “unblemished, truthful and… of sterling quality”.

District judge Dharmesh Sharma said that Sengar was a public servant, people had reposed faith in him and that he had betrayed the trust. “All possible coercive measures were employed against the family. There was pain to the family and efforts were made to threaten harm,” the judge said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on Sengar, out of which Rs 10 lakh will be given to the victim and Rs 15 lakh to the Uttar Pradesh government for the costs incurred while prosecuting him.

The case dates back to June 4, 2017, when the victim, then 17, was allegedly raped by the four-time BJP MLA from Bangermau in Uttar Pradesh. He was expelled from the BJP in August 2019.

On April 3, 2018, her father was allegedly framed in an illegal arms case and arrested. He died in judicial custody a few days later, on April 9, 2018.

On July 28, 2019, a speeding truck rammed into the car in which the victim, her two aunts and their lawyer were travelling. Her aunts were killed while the victim and her lawyer were critically injured.

On August 1, 2019, the Supreme Court transferred the rape case and four related cases to Delhi, and directed the trial court to complete the trial in 45 days. The trial court heard the case on a day-to-day basis since August 5, 2019.