'No less than death': Unnao rape survivor to move Supreme Court against suspension of Sengar's jail term

Unnao: The 2017 Unnao rape case survivor on Wednesday termed the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend the jail term of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar "kaal (death)" for her family and said that she would move the Supreme Court against it.

The HC on Tuesday suspended the sentence of Sengar, who is serving life imprisonment in the case, and ordered his release on bail pending the disposal of his appeal against his conviction by a trial court in December 2019.

In its order, the high court directed that Sengar shall not come within a 5-km radius of the victim's residence and shall not threaten the survivor or her mother. It also said violation of the conditions would automatically lead to cancellation of bail.

Sengar, however, will remain in jail since he is also serving 10 years' imprisonment in the custodial death case of the victim's father and has not been granted bail in that case.

Reacting to the verdict, the survivor, who was a minor when she was kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017, told PTI over phone from Delhi that security for her family members, lawyers and witnesses had already been withdrawn and the court's decision had deepened her fears.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 rued.

The survivor, who was heading out with her mother to stage a protest near Mandi House against the verdict, added that she would challenge the HC order in the Supreme Court.

The Unnao rape case and other connected cases were transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on the directions of the Supreme Court in August 2019.