"Lived up to our expectations": Unnao victim's counsel alleges "non-cooperation" from CBI as SC stays Kuldeep Sengar's bail

New Delhi [India], December 29 (ANI): As the Supreme Court stayed Delhi High Court's order suspending Unnao rape case accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar's life sentence, victim's counsel Mehmood Pracha on Monday alleged the Central Bureau of Investigation is not cooperating with them in the matter.
He mentioned that by such behaviour, CBI have stood upto their expectations, adding that the investigation agency in the Hathras rape case used the same strategy.
"The CBI is still not cooperating. They lived up to our expectations that they would hide things from us... They withheld the copy till about last night... This has been a strategy not only in this case but also in the Hathras case," he told ANI.
Earlier in the day, the Unnao rape case victim thanked the Supreme Court for staying Delhi High Court's verdict, which ordered suspension of accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar's life sentence in the matter.
She termed the apex court's decision as a "big relief" to her, adding that her husband's video is being shared publicly from his social media account so that he can be identified and killed. She mentioned that her husband is scared following the development, noting that no action has been taken on the matter.
"I thank the Supreme Court for providing relief to me. My video is being taken from my husband's social media account and being shared publicly so that he can be identified and killed... My husband is scared... No action is being taken against that," she told ANI.
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court's order suspending the life sentence of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case of a minor.
The Supreme Court's three-judge vacation bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.G. Masih, was hearing the CBI's plea challenging the Delhi High Court's December 23 order, which had suspended Sengar's life sentence pending appeal and granted him bail.
Staying the High Court's order, the apex court noted that Sengar remains in custody in another case. "We are informed that the convict is also convicted and sentenced under Section 304 (murder) of the IPC and that he is still in custody in that case. Considering such peculiar circumstances, we stay the operation of the impugned order. The respondent shall not be released," the bench observed.
The Supreme Court also issued notice to Sengar, seeking his response to the CBI's plea within two weeks.
Sengar, a former Uttar Pradesh MLA, was convicted in December 2019 in the Unnao rape case and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh. Although he was granted bail by the High Court in the rape case, he continued to remain in jail as he is serving a 10-year sentence in a separate CBI case related to murder. (ANI)