Friday, 26 December 2025
Friday, 26 December 2025
A protest was held outside the Delhi High Court on Friday against the suspension of the sentence of Kuldeep Sengar, who was convicted in the Unnao rape case, with demonstrators raising slogans and voicing anger over the court’s decision to grant him conditional bail.
Protesters gathered near the court premises holding placards and raising slogans such as “Balatkariyo ko sanrakshan dena band kro” (stop protecting rapists) in support of the Unnao rape survivor.
Women activists from the All India Democratic Women's Association participated in the protest along with women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana and the survivor’s mother.
Speaking to PTI, the survivor’s mother said she had come to protest as her daughter had endured immense suffering.
“I am not blaming the entire high court, but only the two judges whose decision has shattered our trust,” she said. She added that earlier judges had delivered justice to the family, but the accused had now been granted bail.
“This is an injustice towards our family. We will approach the Supreme Court, as I have faith in it,” she said.
The protest followed the Delhi High Court’s order on Tuesday suspending Sengar’s life sentence and granting him bail pending disposal of his appeal against his conviction by a trial court in December 2019.
The court noted that the expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had already served more than the maximum punishment prescribed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Reacting to the court order, the survivor told Hindustan Times, “I am extremely upset by what has happened today in the court.” She also said she felt “extremely unsafe” after learning about the bail conditions granted to Sengar.
Talking to ANI on Friday, the victim’s mother expressed strong objection to the bail, saying, “His bail should be rejected... We will knock on the doors of the Supreme Court. We have lost faith in the high court... If we don't get justice in the Supreme Court, we will go to another country... The person guilty of my husband's murder should be hanged immediately.”
Women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana said the protest was aimed at seeking accountability from the judiciary.
“Women across India are deeply hurt that the sentence of a rapist has been overturned. This happened in this very court. So, we will seek justice from the same place where the injustice occurred,” ANI quoted her as saying.
Another protester told ANI, “On what grounds was Kulldeep Sengar granted bail, when it was declared that he had committed rapes and murders? If a life sentence was given to him, then why is he out?... We demand that the rapist should go behind bars so women feel safe.”
Visuals shared by ANI showed security personnel asking protesters to end the demonstration, warning that legal action would be taken if they did not disperse within five minutes.
In its bail order, the high court directed that Sengar shall not come within a five-kilometre radius of the victim’s residence or threaten the rape survivor or her mother, stating that any violation would automatically lead to cancellation of bail.
However, Sengar will remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in connection with the custodial death of the survivor’s father and has not been granted bail in that case.
The court’s decision has reignited fears within the survivor’s family despite the restrictions imposed.
Citing past incidents, the survivor said, “He is a powerful man. He would get his men to do his dirty work for him. When my car met with an accident in which two of my relatives and my lawyer died in 2019, Sengar didn’t do it himself. His henchmen did. Now that he is out, we are all unsafe.”
Now 24, the survivor is a resident of Delhi. Following the grant of conditional bail to Sengar, she has been provided court-ordered protection and is accompanied by five to 11 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at all times. However, her mother has said that the security cover provided to her and her three children until March this year was subsequently withdrawn.
