Delhi High Court granted bail to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape case on Tuesday. He was convicted by a Delhi CBI court in a minor’s rape case and was serving a life sentence. His appeal against the judgment stands pending before the Delhi High Court.

A division bench comprising Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar suspended the sentence pending the outcome of his appeal. The court granted him interim relief on the condition that he furnish a bail bond of Rs 15 lakh.

According to news agency ANI, he will remain in custody as he has not yet been granted bail in the victim’s father’s custodial death matter. An appeal and application for suspension of sentence is pending before the High Court of Delhi.

According to the Delhi High Court’s directions, Sengar, who was awarded a 10-year sentence in the case, should not enter the 5-kilometre area where the victim resides in Delhi. It is also directed that Sengar Shall remain in Delhi. He shall not contact the victim’s family members.

Hours after convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar was granted bail, the victim, along with her family and women activist Yogitha Bhayana, held a protest at India Gate. The victim, while sitting on the India Gate premises, alleged that bail was granted due to the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

“I heard the judgment, and I felt very bad. I wanted to kill myself then and there, but I stopped after thinking about my family. Injustice has been done to us. Elections are coming, and he has been released on bail so that his wife can contest the polls. If such a rape accused will come out, how will we be safe?” reported news agency ANI.

The case dates back to 2017, when former BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar was expelled from the party after allegations of sexual assault of a minor in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao. The case gained attention after the custodial death of the victim’s father.