The Supreme Court of India on Monday stayed an order of the Delhi High Court that had suspended the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case.

Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a woman who was a minor at the time of the crime.

The Supreme Court said it had a responsibility towards the survivor and issued a notice to Sengar after a plea was filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which investigated and prosecuted the case. Sengar has been given four weeks to file his response.

The court made it clear that there was no question of compromising personal liberty, noting that Sengar will remain in jail for now. He is currently serving a separate sentence in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father.

A vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, also allowed the Unnao rape survivor to intervene in the case through her own petition.

Before the hearing, the survivor said she had faith in the Supreme Court. She also appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure the safety of her and her family.

She alleged that Sengar had bribed officials, including the investigating officer and an unnamed Delhi High Court judge. She also said her family had suffered greatly since Sengar was granted bail.

The case returned to public attention after the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar’s sentence and granted him bail while his appeal against the trial court verdict is pending.

In its order, the High Court said Sengar’s position as an MLA did not make him a “public servant” and ruled that the child sexual offences law could not be applied in the case. The court also noted that the seven-and-a-half years Sengar had already spent in jail was more than the minimum sentence required.

Following this, Sengar was released on conditional bail, including a personal bond of ₹15 lakh and restrictions on travel and proximity to the survivor.

Sengar’s release was widely criticised and led to tense scenes in Delhi. Protests by the survivor and her family were followed by clashes with central security personnel.

Videos showing the survivor’s mother being manhandled caused public outrage. In one incident, she appeared to be forced to jump from a moving bus that then drove away with her daughter inside.

Speaking to reporters, the mother broke down and said,
“We did not get justice. My daughter has been held captive. It seems they want to kill us.”

A Central Reserve Police Force officer later claimed the survivor was being “escorted” home. However, no official explanation has been given about why the mother was removed from the bus.

With the Supreme Court now staying the High Court’s bail order, Sengar will remain behind bars as the case continues.