Unnao rape case: SC puts brakes on bail for ex-MLA Kuldeep Sengar

India Dec 29, 2025

The Supreme Court has paused the Delhi High Court's decision to grant bail to former UP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was convicted in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
This move comes after the CBI questioned whether MLAs count as "public servants" under the POCSO Act, pointing to an old ruling that says they do under a different law.
The court now wants Sengar's response within four weeks.

What's behind the legal debate?

The CBI argued that leaving MLAs out of POCSO's "public servant" definition would weaken protections for children.
Earlier, Delhi HC had suspended Sengar's life sentence because POCSO doesn't clearly define MLAs as public servants.
Plus, Sengar is also linked to the custodial death of the survivor's father, making this case even more complicated.