The High Court of Delhi on Monday granted interim bail for two weeks to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the gangrape of a 17-year-old-girl in 2019, to let him attend his daughter’s wedding.
The Division Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Poonam A. Bamba granted bail to Sengar from January 27 to February 10.
The former BJP MLA had sought bail from the High Court on account of his daughter’s marriage, which was scheduled for February 8, 2023.
The petitioner had contended in his plea that the pre-wedding events would start from January 18 and being the only male member of the family, he had to make arrangements for the functions.
Earlier in December last year, the High Court had issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation, seeking verification of the facts stated by Sengar in his bail application. The Bench had directed the CBI to file a status report on the matter by January 16 (today).
The former BJP MLA was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court on December 20, 2019, for raping a 17-year-old girl on June 4, 2017 in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh. Sengar was also directed to deposit a fine of Rs 25 lakh in the case.
Two charge sheets were filed by the the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Sengar.
First was filed on July 11, 2018, accusing the former Bharatiya Janata Party leader and the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Uttar Pradesh, of rape.
The second charge sheet was filed two days later, accusing Sengar, his brother, three policemen and five other individuals of framing the rape survivor’s father as the perpetrator.
The survivor attempted to immolate herself at the residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in April, 2018. Her father later died in the judicial custody.