Unnao Rape Case Back in Spotlight as CBI Moves Supreme Court Against Sengar’s Bail

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court on December 26, 2025, strongly challenging the Delhi High Court's decision to grant conditional bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the main accused in the 2017 Unnao rape case. Sengar, a former BJP MLA from Unnao, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹25 lakh in December 2019 by a trial court for raping a then-minor girl in 2017. He filed an appeal against the conviction in January 2020 and a separate application for suspension of sentence and bail in March 2022. The CBI and the victim, through their counsel, had vehemently opposed the bail plea during hearings in the Delhi High Court.

On December 23, 2025, the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar's life sentence pending the final disposal of his appeal and granted him bail subject to certain conditions. However, Sengar remains in custody due to a separate 10-year sentence he is serving in connection with the custodial death of the victim's father in 2018. The High Court's order has sparked widespread outrage and renewed public attention to the high-profile case, which had drawn national criticism for alleged political interference and delays in justice during the initial investigation.

Protests erupted outside the Delhi High Court on December 26, 2025, with several women activists sitting on dharna, holding placards demanding justice for the victim, and raising slogans against the bail decision. The demonstrators were later asked by Delhi Police to vacate the premises, with officers warning of legal action if they continued to gather. The victim's lawyer, Mehmood Pracha, announced plans to approach the Supreme Court independently with a strong case, regardless of the CBI's petition. He also stated intentions to file an FIR with the CBI against officials allegedly responsible for helping Sengar secure bail, warning that the judgment endangered the safety of every female child in the country and calling for nationwide protests to protect women's rights.

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The case has also seen parallel legal action, with two advocates filing an appeal in the Supreme Court on December 25, 2025, directly challenging the suspension of Sengar's sentence. The Unnao rape case, which first came to light in 2017 when the survivor attempted self-immolation outside the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's residence to highlight alleged delays and threats, remains one of the most closely watched instances of crimes against women in India. The CBI's move to approach the apex court underscores the gravity of the opposition to Sengar's release on bail, even as his life sentence remains suspended pending the final appeal outcome.

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