In the Unnao rape case, the CBI has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's order suspending the life sentence of convicted former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The agency has termed the High Court decision as against the law, citing risks to the victim's safety. The case reached the apex court following the High Court's ruling on December 23, 2025.
In the Unnao rape case, Delhi's Tis Hazari Court sentenced former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar to life imprisonment and a fine of 25 lakh rupees in December 2019. Sengar challenged the verdict in the Delhi High Court in January 2020 and filed a separate petition for suspension of sentence in March 2022. On December 23, 2025, the High Court suspended the sentence and ordered his release on bail, but Sengar remains in jail due to a 10-year sentence in another CBI case related to the murder of the victim's father.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on December 27, 2025, challenging the High Court's order. In the petition, the CBI argued that the High Court ignored the intent of the POCSO Act and underestimated the influence of Sengar as a sitting MLA, which could endanger the victim and her family. The agency contended that suspending the sentence is against the law, as imprisonment is the norm after conviction.
According to the CBI petition, Sengar is an influential figure with access to money and muscle power. The POCSO Act aims not only to punish but also to protect children from sexual exploitation. Two women lawyers have already filed a similar petition in the Supreme Court against the decision. Outrage and protests have erupted in Delhi over the ruling.