Overview
- A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant will hear the CBI’s Special Leave Petition on December 29 against the Delhi High Court order granting bail by suspending Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s life sentence.
- The Delhi High Court on December 23 suspended Sengar’s sentence during his appeal and granted conditional bail, including a ₹15 lakh bond and a bar on entering a 5-km radius of the survivor’s Delhi residence.
- Sengar remains in custody because he is serving a separate 10-year sentence for the custodial death of the survivor’s father and has not received bail in that case.
- In its plea, the CBI argues the High Court erred by narrowing POCSO’s aggravated-offence provisions, contends an MLA’s status should not place him outside ‘public servant,’ and says suspension of a life term should be rare.
- Women’s groups and the survivor’s family protested the High Court order, a separate petition by advocates Anjale Patel and Pooja Shilpkar seeks a stay, and the survivor has lodged a complaint alleging misconduct by the investigating officer.