Unnao rape survivor vows more fight; Kuldeep Sengar’s daughter cries foul play

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday halted a Delhi High Court decision that had suspended the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case, prompting sharp reactions from the survivor, her family, and the convict’s daughter.

A vacation bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, stayed the Delhi High Court’s December 23 order, which had paved the way for Sengar’s potential release. The apex court noted the case’s unique circumstances, including Sengar’s separate conviction related to the custodial death of the survivor’s father, and emphasized that deeper scrutiny of legal issues was needed.

The survivor welcomed the ruling as a step toward justice. “I have got justice from the Supreme Court. I will not rest until he is hanged. I will keep fighting,” she stated, according to reports . She added that her family still faces threats and reaffirmed her trust in the judiciary, saying the top court would continue to deliver justice.

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Her sister described Sengar as a “monster” who raped her sibling and devastated their family, expressing satisfaction that his release had been blocked. The survivor’s mother thanked the Supreme Court and called for the death penalty for those responsible for her husband’s death.

In contrast, Sengar’s daughter, Aishwarya Sengar, expressed distress, claiming her family had been denied a fair hearing and stripped of dignity. She alleged longstanding enmity between the families predating the case and questioned the evidence against her father. She further claimed the survivor’s uncle had a criminal record and that the survivor had previously accused others before naming her father. However, she stated, “If my father has even glanced at that girl with ill intent, he should be hanged.”

The survivor’s lawyer, Mehmood Pracha, described the stay as temporary breathing room rather than a full victory, noting the ongoing challenges, including security concerns.

Sengar, a former four-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh, was convicted in 2019 under IPC Section 376 and POCSO Act provisions, and later for culpable homicide in the death of the survivor’s father.