A protest erupted outside the Delhi High Court on Friday following the controversial decision to grant conditional bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, convicted in the Unnao rape case. Activists and members of the public gathered outside the court, raising slogans and expressing strong opposition to the bail order.
Women’s rights activists, including Yogita Bhayana, joined the demonstration. Bhayana stated, “Women across India are deeply hurt that the sentence of a rapist has been overturned. We will continue to seek justice from the same place where the injustice occurred.”
The Unnao rape survivor and her family expressed grave concern over the court’s decision. Speaking to Hindustan Times, the survivor said, “I am extremely upset by what has happened today in the court,” and added that she felt “extremely unsafe” due to the conditions of Sengar’s bail.
The survivor’s mother also voiced her objection to the bail to ANI news agency, stating, “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 there, we will seek it elsewhere. The person guilty of my husband’s murder must face justice immediately.”
Security personnel at the Delhi High Court asked protesters to disperse, warning that legal action would follow if the demonstration continued beyond five minutes.
The bail decision comes years after Sengar was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2019 for the rape of a 17-year-old girl in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, in 2017. The Delhi High Court noted that Sengar had already served more than the maximum sentence prescribed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, leading to the suspension of his life sentence.
Despite restrictions barring Sengar from approaching within five kilometers of the survivor, her family expressed fears for their safety. The survivor highlighted past incidents, including a car accident in 2019 that resulted in the deaths of two relatives and her lawyer, allegedly orchestrated by Sengar’s associates.
Now 24, the survivor resides in Delhi and currently receives court-ordered protection with five to eleven Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel accompanying her at all times. However, her mother noted that previous security cover for her and her three children, provided until March this year, had been withdrawn.
The incident has triggered widespread public outrage and renewed discussions on the safety of survivors and the enforcement of court orders in sensitive cases.
