Unnao Rape: CBI seeks life imprisonment for Kuldeep Singh Sengar

The Central Bureau of Investigation today sought imposition of the maximum punishment of life imprisonment on expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the Unnao rape case.

Court of District and Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharam had yesterday convicted Sengar for commission of offences under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 5(c) and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The CBI Prosecutor today argued that Sengar deserved maximum punishment for the offenses and a liberal view should not be adopted in crime against women.

The Counsel for the rape survivor also sought compensation for her, in addition to the Rs 25 lakh already awarded to her.

The Counsel for Sengar sought infliction of minimum punishment on Senagr on the ground that his past conduct has been blemish free.

It was also submitted that Sengar’s has two minor daughters and that his conduct in jail has always been good.

After brief arguments, the Court deferred further hearing in the matter with a direction to Sengar to produce the details of his assets before it.

The matter would be heard next on December 20.

The Unnao rape survivor, a minor, was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar between June 11-20, 2017. She was then sold for Rs. 60,000, after which she was recovered at the Maakhi police station.

The survivor was thereafter continuously threatened and warned by the police officials against speaking, as instructed by Sengar.

After running from pillar to post, an FIR finally came to be recorded against Sengar under Sections 363, 366, 376, 506 IPC and 3/4 of the POCSO Act in April 2018. The Allahabad High Court even ordered the arrest of Sengar for the alleged rape of the 15-year-old survivor in 2017.

Earlier this year, the Unnao rape case took a controversial turn after a lorry without a number plate rammed into the car in which the victim was travelling. The victim and her lawyer were critically injured, while two of her aunts passed away.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court transferred the trial in all four cases relating to the Unnao rape case to Delhi from Lucknow and ordered that the same be held on a day-to-day basis and completed within 45 days.

The other cases which are pending before Court in relation to the Unnao rape case include cases pertaining to the death of the survivor’s father in judicial custody following an illegal firearms case against him, the involvement of Sengar and others in the accident case and the gang rape of the rape survivor by three others.