Scores protested outside the Delhi High Court after it granted conditional bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former BJP ruling party lawmaker jailed for rape, reigniting debate over accountability for sexual crimes in India.
Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2019 for raping a minor, but the court this week suspended his sentence while his appeal is pending. The decision drew criticism, protests and legal challenges, amid renewed fears for the survivor’s safety.
The survivor’s mother called the order an injustice, saying the ruling by two judges shattered the family’s trust and that they would approach the Supreme Court. She said her daughter had endured years of suffering and expressed faith in the top court.
The survivor, now 24, said she felt “extremely unsafe,” warning that Sengar’s influence went beyond bail conditions. Citing past intimidation, including a 2019 car crash that killed two sisters and her lawyer, she said his associates posed an ongoing threat.
Kuldeep Singh Sengar in 2018
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