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Outrage Over Delhi HC Ruling Fuels Demands for Accountability as Parallel Crime Cases Intensify Scrutiny

Legal ambiguity around who counts as a public servant is colliding with public expectations of accountability.

Overview

  • Delhi High Court suspended the sentence of convicted ex-MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar after citing the 1984 A.R. Antulay precedent that excludes elected representatives from the ‘public servant’ definition under IPC/POCSO.
  • Protesters gathered outside the High Court calling for harsh punishment, while the victim moved the Supreme Court and the CBI signaled a challenge seeking reversal of the relief.
  • Former judges and senior advocates urged legislative or judicial clarification of the statute, noting ADR data that many sitting MPs and MLAs face cases involving crimes against women.
  • In Udaipur, police arrested company CEO Jayesh Prakash Sisodiya and two others after dashcam audio-video and medical findings supported a manager’s gang-rape allegation, with remand sought and inquiries into possible intoxication underway.
  • In Agra, three policemen were suspended and an ACP transferred after a detainee alleged third-degree torture that broke both legs, as the human rights commission sought a report; in Bangladesh, the mob killing of Amrit Mondal drew a dispute between police claims of criminal motive and advocates’ concerns about minority targeting.