New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed the survivor in the 2017 Unnao rape case to participate in the hearing of a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the bail granted to former Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The decision ensures that the victim can present her views in the ongoing legal proceedings.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that victims have the right to be heard in matters that directly affect their interests. The court therefore permitted the survivor to become a party to the case and granted her time to file an affidavit opposing the suspension of Sengar’s life sentence.
The hearing relates to a petition filed by the CBI against a Delhi High Court order that suspended Sengar’s life imprisonment and granted him bail while his appeal against conviction is pending. The CBI approached the Supreme Court arguing that the High Court’s decision should be reconsidered due to the seriousness of the crime and concerns about justice for the victim.
