Fast-track Sengar’s appeal in custodial death case: SC to HC

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi High Court to fast-track the hearing of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar's plea challenging his conviction and 10-year sentencing in the custodial death case of the 2017 Unnao rape survivor's father.

- Abraham Thomas and Shruti Kakkar

Kuldeep Singh Sengar

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant requested the high court to take up the matter “out of turn” on a day-to-day basis, and said it be decided within three months.

The order was passed in a fresh petition filed by Sengar, challenging the January 19 order of the high court declining to suspend his sentence and grant bail during the pendency of his appeal.

Refusing to interfere with the high court's order, the bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and NV Anjari said: “Keeping all attendant circumstances and the sentence already undergone, we deem it a fit case to accord out of turn hearing and decide the same as early as possible but not later than 3 months.”

The top court was informed that the rape victim has also filed an appeal in the high court seeking enhancement of Sengar’s sentence in the custodial death case. It was also informed that Sengar’s appeal is slated to come up for hearing before the high court on February 11.

“It will be in the interest of justice that both appeals are heard and decided together,” the bench said.

Taking note of the fact that Sengar’s appeal is before a single judge bench while the enhancement of sentence as sought by the victim will require a two-judge bench, the apex court left it open for the high court's chief justice to make suitable changes in the bench composition.