Unnao rape case: HC grants interim bail to Kuldeep Sengar till Tuesday for eye surgery
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim bail till February 4 to expelled BJP leader and Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar for undergoing an eye surgery.
A bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar suspended his sentence, noting that Sengar’s cataract surgery is fixed for Tuesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here.
The court directed him to surrender before the jail authorities on February 5.
“… we are of the opinion that the sentence warrants to be suspended for the purpose of applicant’s medical procedure which is fixed for February 4, 2025 subject to conditions identical to those set forth in December 20, 2024 order. The applicant shall surrender on February 5 before the jail superintendent,” the bench said.
The court was informed by the leader’s counsel that Sengar’s surgery was not performed earlier on the scheduled date due to circumstances beyond his control.
He submitted that two more days are needed as Sengar needs to be admitted to the AIIMS for the medical procedure which is now fixed for February 4.
The court had earlier also granted interim bail to the politician for the surgery.
The plea was opposed by the survivor's lawyer who argued that Sengar could not be given interim bail endlessly.
Sengar's plea for extension of interim bail, which formed part of his appeal against the December 2019 trial court's verdict in the rape case, is pending before the high court. He has sought setting aside of his conviction and sentence.
The minor girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017.
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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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
