The Unnao rape survivor expressed relief after the Supreme Court refused bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the custodial death case of her father. She said she has struggled for eight years to prove the crime and urged the court to deliver justice for her father.
The Unnao rape survivor on Tuesday expressed relief after the Supreme Court of India refused to grant bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the case related to the custodial death of her father. She said the decision gave her some peace after years of legal struggle and suffering.
Speaking to media, the survivor said she was personally present inside the courtroom when the order was passed and felt satisfied with the directions given by the apex court.
“I went to the Supreme Court today. I was in the court when the judge gave his verdict. I am very happy with this verdict. I am satisfied that the judge has ordered the hearing to be completed within 3 months, as soon as possible. My father is not going to come back. His brothers, Atul Singh Sengar and Jaideep Singh Sengar, killed my father. They are out of jail for medical treatment. All the police officers who were involved are out. As far as Kuldeep Singh Sengar is concerned, he has committed a heinous act against me. He has raped me. How can I prove it? Am I alive? Do I have to do this?”
The survivor said she has been fighting for justice for the past eight years and even now continues to face questions and disbelief regarding the crime committed against her. She added that her pain would have been taken seriously much earlier if she had not survived the assault.
She said,
“If I had died like Nirbhaya, everyone would have believed that I was raped. I am alive. It took years to prove what happened to me. I have been struggling for 8 years. Even now, I have to prove that I have been raped. His daughter said that it was a normal accident. I did not know whether the accident was normal. I was on the ventilator. I have requested that the Supreme Court deliver justice for my father. He should be hanged so that my father’s soul can be at peace and justice can be given to him,”
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court of India refused to grant immediate relief to rape convict and former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on his plea seeking suspension of sentence and bail in the custodial death case of the rape survivor’s father. However, the Court requested the Delhi High Court to hear and decide the pending appeal within three months.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the High Court to take up the matter on priority and conclude the hearing within a fixed time frame, saying,
“We deem it a fit case to request the High Court to hear the appeal and decide the same, but not later than three months.”
Sengar had approached the Supreme Court challenging the January 19, 2026 order of the Delhi High Court, which had earlier refused to suspend his sentence and grant him bail in the custodial death case.
The challenge arose from his conviction dated March 4, 2020, under Sections 166, 167, 193, 201, and 203 read with Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. For these offences, he was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, with separate punishments for each offence.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing on behalf of Sengar, argued that the former legislator had already completed more than seven years and six months in jail and that continued denial of bail was unfair, especially considering the delay in hearing the appeal. He submitted that prolonged incarceration without final disposal of the appeal amounted to injustice.
The Supreme Court, however, noted that the criminal appeal had already been listed for final hearing before the Delhi High Court on February 11 and observed that in such circumstances, the request for suspension of sentence no longer held much relevance.
Opposing the plea, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation, pointed out that Sengar is already serving a life sentence in a separate rape conviction. He argued that there were no exceptional or compelling reasons to grant bail in the custodial death case, particularly given the seriousness of the allegations and Sengar’s criminal background.
“In cases of conviction, the normal rule is that the appeal should be heard before completion of sentence,”
the Chief Justice said, while also stressing that the victim’s right to pursue her own legal remedies cannot be taken away or compromised.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi also observed that courts must be extremely cautious while granting bail to convicted persons who have serious criminal antecedents, especially in cases involving custodial death, where a police officer has already been found guilty.
The Supreme Court’s order has once again brought focus on the long-pending demand for speedy justice in cases involving sexual violence and custodial crimes, while offering some reassurance to the survivor that her fight for justice is still being heard at the highest level.
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