Unnao,  24 Dec

The survivor of the 2017 Unnao rape case on Wednesday said she would approach the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the jail term of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, describing the order as “kaal (death)” for her family.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suspended the sentence of Sengar, who is serving life imprisonment for the rape of the then minor survivor, and granted him bail pending disposal of his appeal against the December 2019 conviction by a trial court.

In its order, the court directed that Sengar shall not come within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence and shall not threaten her or her mother. The court said any violation of these conditions would automatically result in the cancellation of bail.

However, Sengar will continue to remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father and has not been granted bail in that matter.

Reacting to the verdict, the survivor told PTI over the phone from Delhi that security provided to her family members, lawyers and witnesses had already been withdrawn, adding that the court’s decision had further heightened her fears.

"If the convict gets bail in cases like this, how will the country's daughters remain safe? For us, this decision is no less than 'kaal' (death)," she said.

"Those with money win, those without money lose," she added.

The survivor said she and her mother were heading to stage a protest near Mandi House in Delhi against the verdict. She reiterated that she would challenge the high court order in the Supreme Court.

The Unnao rape case, along with related cases, was transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in August 2019 following directions from the Supreme Court, citing concerns over a fair trial.