Protesters rallied outside Delhi High Court on December 26, 2025, slamming the conditional bail granted to convicted rapist Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao case. The survivor’s mother demanded the guilty be hanged amid family manhandling and CBI’s appeal plans.
Hundreds protested near Delhi High Court on December 26 against the December 23 bail suspending Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s life sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case, (Sengar is BJP ex-MLA). The survivor’s mother and family, under CRPF protection, faced manhandling at India Gate; she cried “Hang the guilty.”
CBI plans to challenge the order in Supreme Court, while officials enforced strict bail terms like ₹15 lakh bond and no victim contact.
Fury Ignites at Court Gates
The protests swelled with raw anger, drawing activists, survivors’ advocates, and ordinary citizens who see the bail as a betrayal of justice. Chants of “Hang the rapist” echoed as demonstrators held placards reading “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied” outside the high court, blocking traffic briefly around noon.
Eyewitnesses described a tense standoff, with police forming human barriers to prevent escalation.
The survivor’s mother, a frail figure in her sixties, became the emotional epicentre. Separated from her daughter by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who yanked her from a moving bus en route to India Gate, she collapsed in tears. “They manhandled me like a criminal.
Hang the guilty ones who destroyed our lives,” she told reporters, her voice breaking. This marked the third day of unrest since the December 23 order, with prior clashes at Mandi House where the survivor herself was dragged by police during a sit-in.
Activist Yogita Bhayana, who joined the family at India Gate, highlighted the human cost: over 200 participants by evening, many women sharing stories of stalled cases. “This bail reopens wounds for every survivor,” she said. Statistics underscore the outrage-a 2024 NCRB report notes only 27% conviction rates in rape cases nationwide, fueling distrust.
The family, relocated multiple times under Z-plus security, now fears for their lives, with the survivor vowing, “We will fight this in the Supreme Court. No elections should sway justice.”
Bail Order Sparks Legal Firestorm
Delhi High Court Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani suspended Sengar’s life term pending appeal, citing that pre-2019 laws treated rape of minors under 16 (not “public servants”) with a maximum 10-year sentence-time already served since his 2018 arrest.
Conditions include a ₹15 lakh personal bond, daily police reporting, no Delhi exit without permission, and zero contact with victims. Yet, critics decry it as premature, especially with Sengar’s appeal hearing months away.
Official responses remained measured. A Delhi Police spokesperson stated, “We upheld law and order; no violence occurred,” defending the CRPF’s actions as “preventive.” The CBI, probing since 2019, confirmed it would “vigorously oppose” the bail in higher courts, as per agency sources.
Home Ministry officials hinted at reviewing security protocols, but no policy shifts emerged yet. Nirbhaya’s mother, Asha Devi, slammed the court: “This mocks every victim’s struggle. When will leniency end?”
Roots in a Decade of Torment
The saga traces to June 2017, when a 17-year-old Unnao girl accused Sengar, then a BJP MLA, of gang-rape at his residence. Her complaint triggered retaliation: her father died in custody days later, ruled murder. Sengar faced expulsion from the party, but trials dragged.
In 2019, a special POCSO court sentenced him to life for rape and abetment to murder; two aides got 10 years each.
Tragedy compounded-two aunts killed in a 2019 truck attack, ruled conspiracy. The Supreme Court transferred the case to Delhi, clubbing five FIRs, and ordered CRPF cover. Post-conviction, the family alleged lax security, including a 2023 breach.
This bail revives memories of the 2012 Nirbhaya protests, where public fury forced reforms like fast-track courts. With Assembly polls looming, opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi met the survivor, amplifying calls for probes.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This episode exposes cracks in India’s justice architecture, where procedural technicalities overshadow survivors’ agony, breeding cynicism over empathy.
We stand for a system rooted in kindness, dialogue, and harmony-prioritising victim safety, swift appeals, and zero tolerance for power abuses.
Reforms like mandatory timelines and survivor-centric policing can foster coexistence amid division. True change blooms when communities amplify the marginalised, rejecting vengeance for accountable healing.
