Unnao rape case: Delhi Court sentences rigorous imprisonment to Kuldeep Sengar, his brother

A Delhi court on Friday sentenced disqualified Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother, Atul Singh to 10 years rigorous imprisonment, and asked them to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of Unnao rape victim for the custodial death of her father.

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma declined to show any leniency to the accused of causing the death of the sole bread earner of a family, which comprised wife and four daughters, including two minors, and one son of the deceased.

Sengar has already been awarded life term till the "remainder of his natural biological life" for raping the minor Unnao girl. He stood disqualified on February 25 as MLA of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly following his conviction in the rape case.

The court also sentenced five others, including two police officers-- then SHO of Makhi police station Ashok Singh Bhadoria and then Sub Inspector Kamta Prasad – to similar 10 years jail term under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC. The convicts were also sentenced to varying jail terms for other offences like wrongful confinement, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

In its order, the court said no fine was imposed on Sengar and his brother, instead, they were directed to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased's family members, who were uprooted from their native place in Unnao.

The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to take appropriate disciplinary proceedings for medical negligence against doctors who treated the victim's father in judicial custody. The father of the rape victim was arrested at the behest of Sengar in the Arms Act and had died in custody on April 9, 2018, due to police brutalities.

On March 4, Sengar, his brother and five others were convicted for the death of the victim's father in judicial custody. The matter was investigated by the CBI. The trial in the case was shifted to Delhi by the Supreme Court.