Delhi High Court grants interim bail to Sengar for surgery
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has stayed the sentence of convicted rapist and former BJP leader, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, granting him interim bail for eye surgery. The procedure will be performed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on February 4, 2025. After the surgery, Sengar will have to surrender on February 5, Justices Yashwant Varma and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar ruled.
Bail extension
Court's decision based on medical necessity, despite opposition
The court granted Sengar interim bail on the grounds of his medical procedure. Sengar's counsel told the court that his surgery, scheduled for an earlier date, was deferred due to unavoidable circumstances and sought two more days to get admitted to AIIMS. However, the survivor's lawyer opposed the interim bail extension, arguing against continuous extensions.
Ongoing appeal
Sengar's appeal against conviction still pending
Sengar's appeal against his conviction and sentence in a December 2019 trial court verdict is still pending in the high court. He is seeking to overturn his conviction in connection with the alleged abduction and rape of a minor girl in 2017. The case was moved from an Uttar Pradesh trial court to Delhi on a Supreme Court directive on August 1, 2019.