SFI Condemns Bail to Ex- BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao Rape Case, Calls It ‘Appalling Miscarriage of Justice’

New Delhi: The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) strongly criticised the Delhi High Court’s decision to grant conditional bail to former BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is serving a life sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case. The student organisation described the order as a “grave miscarriage of justice” and said it undermines women’s safety and dignity in the country.

In a statement, the SFI said the suspension of Sengar’s sentence erodes faith in the justice system and expressed solidarity with the survivor and her family. Sengar was convicted in 2019 by a Delhi trial court under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for committing sexual assault against a minor while he was a sitting MLA.

The High Court order, delivered on December 23 by Justices Subramaniam Prasad and Harish Shankar, commuted Sengar’s sentence and granted him bail. The court reportedly cited that Sengar’s status as an MLA at the time of the offence did not fall under the definition of “public servant” under the IPC, a judgement the SFI said is not welcoming and also it is not helpful in protecting women and children from criminals in power.

Reacting to the decision, the Unnao rape survivor and her mother staged a protest near India Gate, expressing fear for their safety and alleging that the bail order was politically motivated. The protestors were removed from the site by Delhi Police. Condemning the action, the SFI statement read, "The treatment of the survivor by the judicial and executive arms of the State and the impunity conferred onto the rapist indicate his deep-rooted political influence and the regressive character of the incumbent government."

The SFI also linked the order to what it described as a broader pattern of impunity in cases of sexual violence, citing recent decisions such as the suspension of sentence granted to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and the remission given to convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. The organisation alleged that powerful offenders continue to receive leniency, while women activists and dissenters face prolonged incarceration. "While rapists and sexual offenders are left to roam free on the streets, the courts refuse to conduct trials and grant bail to female activists such as Gulfisha Fatima who have merely asserted their civil liberties as Indian citizens," SFI stated.

Calling for urgent corrective steps, the SFI urged immediate judicial steps to remedy this state of affairs and call on all progressive organisations to rise in rage against the prejudice that has percolated state and societal infrastructure.

“The safety and dignity of women must be secured by firmly resisting systemic misogyny,” the statement said.