Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Wednesday strongly criticised the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the sentence of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, convicted in the 2017 Unnao rape case, calling the order deeply disturbing and a setback to justice for women.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Shrinate questioned how a person sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and murder could be released on bail within six years. “What kind of justice is this? Will there be justice for daughters in this country?” she asked, expressing anguish over the suspension of the sentence.
What the Unnao rape case represented
The 2017 Unnao rape case involved a minor girl who accused the then Bharatiya Janata Party MLA of rape. Later, the case widened to include allegations of intimidation against the survivor’s family, the custodial death of her father, and a suspicious car crash that killed her aunt.
There was nationwide outrage after the incident. Also, a Central Bureau of Investigation probe was initiated. Sengar was eventually convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and murder, a verdict widely seen as a rare instance of accountability involving a powerful political figure.
‘A slap in the face of a civilised society’
Recalling protests at India Gate during the height of the case, Shrinate said it was “brutal” and “inhuman” the way the survivor and her mother were treated. She described the manner in which the Delhi Police dragged them away as a “slap in the face of a civilised society”.
Congress appeals to judiciary to reconsider
Appealing directly to the judiciary, the Congress leader urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and reconsider the decision to suspend the sentence. “As a woman, as a mother, I appeal that the court should reconsider this matter,” she said, warning that such orders risk eroding public faith in the justice system.