Supreme Court sets aside HC suspension of Sengars life term

India's Supreme Court on Friday set aside a Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao sexual assault case, remitting the matter for fresh consideration by the High Court.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi partly allowed an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation and directed the Delhi High Court to decide Sengar's main appeal against his conviction and life imprisonment within two months. If that was not feasible before the summer vacation, the High Court must issue a new order on his plea for sentence suspension beforehand. The Supreme Court emphasized it had expressed no opinion on the merits of the case, leaving the High Court free to examine key issues independently, including whether an MLA qualifies as a public servant under Section 5C of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The decision follows the Delhi High Court's December 23, 2025, order, which suspended Sengar's sentence pending his appeal. The High Court had ruled that an elected representative does not meet the definition of a public servant under Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, rendering...