Delhi High Court Postpones Hearing on Unnao Survivor's Plea for Sentence Increase Against Kuldeep Sengar
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, March 11 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court has postponed the hearing regarding a petition filed by the Unnao rape survivor, who is seeking to increase the sentence given to the expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and other individuals involved in the custodial death of her father.
A division bench, consisting of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja, has allowed the convicts more time to submit their responses and has scheduled the case for further proceedings on March 28.
Previously, in February, the Delhi High Court had issued a notice in response to the survivor's plea, contesting the severity of the punishment meted out to Sengar and asking for an escalation of the 10-year rigorous imprisonment he received from a Delhi court.
The survivor argues that given the heinous nature of the crime, the convicts deserve a death sentence.
Sengar was found guilty in March 2020 for orchestrating the custodial death of the survivor's father and was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court.
This case stems from an event in April 2018, when the father of the minor rape victim was allegedly attacked by associates of Sengar in Unnao. He was apprehended the next day on charges of illegal arms possession and subsequently died in police custody due to multiple injuries.
The Supreme Court transferred the trial, along with related cases from the Unnao rape incident, from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi to guarantee a fair and swift trial.
Earlier in January, the Delhi High Court dismissed Sengar's second request for suspension of his sentence and bail, emphasizing the severity of the crime, his previous criminal record, and the lack of any new developments.
The Supreme Court also refused to suspend Sengar's sentence, pointing out that his criminal appeal against the conviction is currently pending before the Delhi High Court.
On January 9, a bench led by the Chief Justice of India urged the Delhi High Court to expedite the resolution of Sengar's appeal, ideally within three months.
The apex court noted that if the survivor's appeal contesting the sentence's severity is deemed valid, it would serve the interest of justice for all related appeals to be heard and resolved promptly.
Sengar is also serving a life sentence following his conviction in December 2019 for the rape of a minor girl.