Unnao rape case: People trying to take political advantage, says SC on allegations against HC judges
New Delhi (PTI): After expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar's lawyers said that allegations were made against the Delhi High Court judges who suspended his life sentence in the Unnao rape case, the Supreme Court on Monday observed that some people are trying to take "political advantage".
The high court had suspended the jail term of Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
"We understand it. We are not sitting in ivory towers. We understand that people are trying to take political advantage and there are people who are trying to take advantage," Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who was heading a three-judge vacation bench, said.
Senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Sengar, pointed out that some people were making allegations against the high court judges who dealt with the case.
He said such persons should refrain from making statements or allegations against the judges.
"They are doing that on national television," Hariharan said.
Another lawyer, who also appeared for Sengar, said photographs of the high court judges were also being circulated.
Hariharan said there is a video circulating levelling allegations against the judges and this was a cause of concern.
The bench observed that such people are simply forgetting that Sengar was convicted by the judiciary only.
"Very frankly, these judges are one of the finest we have," the bench, also comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, said during the hearing.
Later, asked about the issue of allegations being made against the judges, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the CBI in the matter, unequivocally and categorically said both the high court judges are "brilliant judges with unimpeachable integrity" and any attempt to malign them must be strongly condemned.
They are among the finest judges of the country, the top law officer said.
He said there are always some elements that attempt to browbeat honest judges and such devious forces must not be encouraged.
The apex court stayed the Delhi High Court's order suspending the life sentence of Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case, and said he shall not be released from custody.
The apex court also issued notice to Sengar seeking his response within four weeks on the CBI's plea challenging the high court order.
Sengar's sentence was suspended by the high court till the pendency of his appeal challenging his conviction and sentence in the rape case. He has challenged a December 2019 trial court verdict in the case.
He will, however, remain in jail since he is also serving 10 years' imprisonment in the custodial death case of the victim's father and has not been granted bail in that case.
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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Hamas confirms death of Abu Obeida, introduces new military spokesman
Gaza: Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has officially confirmed the death of its long-time military spokesman Abu Obeida, revealing his real identity for the first time and announcing the appointment of a new spokesman who will use the same nom de guerre.
In a prerecorded statement aired on Arab media on Monday, the group said that Abu Obeida, whose real name was Huthaifa Samir al-Kahlout, was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza City in August. While Israel and the Shin Bet had claimed his killing at the time, Hamas had not confirmed the report until now.
The new spokesman, whose identity has not been disclosed, stated that he would continue to operate under the name Abu Obeida. He paid tribute to al-Kahlout, describing him as a key figure in Hamas’s military media apparatus who served the organisation for over two decades.
The statement marked the first official confirmation by Hamas of al-Kahlout’s identity. Throughout his public life, he appeared only with his face covered by a red keffiyeh, earning him the nickname “the masked one” across the Arab world.
The new spokesman also confirmed the deaths of other senior military leaders, including Mohammed al-Sinwar, the former commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who was killed in May, and Raed Saad, who was killed earlier this month.
Al-Kahlout served as the sole military spokesman of the Qassam Brigades since 2004, delivering televised statements, battlefield updates and announcements during major confrontations with Israel. His profile rose sharply following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Little was publicly known about his personal life. In a past interview, he stated that his family had been displaced during the 1948 Nakba and resettled in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Sources within Hamas said only a small number of people were aware of his true identity before his death.
Israel had attempted to assassinate him multiple times over the years. In April 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on him, describing him as Hamas’s “information warfare chief.”
The confirmation of his death comes months after Israeli authorities claimed responsibility, closing a long period of uncertainty surrounding one of Hamas’s most recognisable and influential figures.
