"Unfortunate incident, govt must take cognisance": Sushil Kumar Shinde on court order granting bail to Kuldeep Sengar

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 25 (ANI): Former Home Minister and senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday said that the bail to Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar was "unfortunate" and urged the government to take cognisance of the matter.
"The government must take cognisance of this matter, as it is a very unfortunate incident. A convict getting bail in this case should be subject to a re-appeal," Shinde told reporters here.
Earlier, CPI general secretary D Raja criticised the bail order. He also said that the government is trying to pressure the CBI.
"It is a serious issue. Our judiciary must be neutral and function independently, because in a democracy like ours today, the ordinary people consider the judiciary the last hope for justice. If the judiciary doesn't stand up and uphold that credibility, it will raise many questions... The government is trying to pressure through the CBI," he said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi High Court's order suspending Sengar's sentence and granting him bail in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
The 2017 Unnao rape case victim has expressed anguish over the judgment of the Delhi HC and raised questions over the CBI's role in the case.
"I am hurt that such a judgment has been passed. This is the first order in the country where a rape accused has been granted bail, and the sentence has been stayed," she told ANI.
"What was the CBI doing before? My advocate Mehmood Pracha will be filing a petition, arguing to overturn the High Court's order, and I am hoping to get justice from the Supreme Court," the victim stated.
Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday strongly criticised the court's bail order and slammed the government over the way Delhi Police responded to the protest by the victim
"We are not just becoming a dead economy--with such inhuman incidents, we are also turning into a dead society, he said in a post on X.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the Delhi HC order sends "a chilling message to the rape survivor."
A division bench of the Delhi High Court, comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, suspended the life sentence and granted bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar. He has been granted relief on the condition that he furnish a bail bond of Rs 15 lakh.
However, he will remain in custody as he has not yet been granted bail in the victim's father's custodial death matter. An appeal and application for suspension of sentence is pending before the High Court of Delhi. He was sentenced to 10 years in that case.
While granting bail, the High Court directed that Sengar must not enter the 5-kilometre radius around the victim's residence. It is also directed that Sengar Shall remain in Delhi. He shall not contact the victim's family members. (ANI)