The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order granting bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
Sengar was convicted in December 2019 for raping a minor girl and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹25 lakh. On December 23, 2025, the Delhi High Court suspended his sentence and granted him conditional bail on a bond of ₹15 lakh.
The CBI filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court on December 26, 2025, opposing the bail order. The agency argued that granting bail could endanger the safety of the survivor and her family, citing past threats and intimidation. The survivor also challenged the bail, alleging collusion in the process.
A vacation bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, heard the matter on December 29, 2025. The bench indicated it was inclined to stay the Delhi High Court’s bail order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the CBI.
Sengar remains in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in connection with the custodial death of the survivor’s father. The Supreme Court’s intervention underscores judicial sensitivity to victim safety and highlights the checks and balances between High Court discretion and Supreme Court oversight in criminal justice.
