Unnao rape case: Delhi High Court suspends Kuldeep Sengar’s sentence, grants bail
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suspended the jail term of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is serving a life sentence in the Unnao rape case, and granted him bail pending the hearing of his appeal.
A bench comprising Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar ordered Sengar’s release on bail subject to strict conditions. The court directed him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh along with three sureties of the same amount.
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The High Court also imposed restrictions on Sengar, barring him from entering within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence. He has further been directed not to threaten or contact the survivor or her mother. The court warned that any violation of these conditions would result in the cancellation of bail.
Sengar’s sentence has been suspended until the disposal of his appeal challenging the December 2019 trial court verdict that convicted him of raping a minor in 2017. He is currently serving life imprisonment in the case.
The rape case, along with related matters, was transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in August 2019 on the directions of the Supreme Court.
Sengar has also challenged his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father, in which he was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. His appeal in that case is pending, and he has sought suspension of the sentence on the ground that he has already spent a substantial period in custody.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
