Unnao rape case: Delhi HC grants interim bail to Kuldeep Sengar on medical ground
New Delhi, Dec 5: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted a two-week interim bail on medical grounds to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, currently serving life term for raping a minor in UP's Unnao in 2017.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma suspended the sentence in the meantime and directed Sengar's medical evaluation in AIIMS, Delhi, besides ordering him to remain in the capital.
"Considering the history of the case as also the medical condition of the applicant, it is directed that the applicant will be released on interim bail for two weeks and he shall seek admission in AIIMS Delhi for a comprehensive medical evaluation," said the bench.
The court sought a report from the AIIMS medical board and posted the matter on December 20.
Sengar is also serving a 10-year jail term in connection with the custodial death of the Unnao rape survivor's father and a plea for interim bail in the case is still pending before a different bench of the high court.
The jailed politician sought the suspension of the sentence for two months on the ground of ailments such as cataract, arguing it required urgent attention.
The court was informed that Sengar suffered from "retinal detachment" which required him to travel to a hospital in Chennai, besides getting treated for other complications in Lucknow.
The plea was opposed by the survivor's lawyer and the CBI.
The counsel for the rape survivor said Sengar should not be released as it would pose a threat to her safety and security.
The CBI counsel said treatment could be given to Senagr in Delhi while he continued to be in custody.
The court considered the medical report filed by the jail authorities in the matter and noted that while a certain medical intervention was required, the MRI date given by G B Pant Hospital was in April, 2026.
"The court can't ignore all the medical conditions that the applicant is suffering from.. Although the union of India has moved an application for withdrawing the security given to the survivor, the same is still continuing as the application is pending in the Supreme Court," the bench said.
The court directed Sengar not to contact the survivor and report to the local CBI official upon release.
Sengar's appeal challenging the trial court's verdict in the main Unnao rape case is pending in the high court and he has sought quashing of the December, 2019 judgement of the trial court that sentenced him to imprisonment for the remainder of his life.
The survivor was kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor.
On March 13, 2020, Sengar was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10 lakh, in connection with the case of custodial death of the rape victim's father. The court also awarded a 10-year jail term to Sengar's brother Atul Singh Sengar and five others.
The father of the rape victim was arrested at the behest of Sengar in a case under the Arms Act. He died in custody on April 9, 2018.
The rape case and other connected cases were transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
