A special court in Delhi's Tis Hazari complex on Friday sentenced convicted rapist Kuldeep Singh Sengar, an expelled BJP MLA, to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Unnao in 2017. The court ordered that compensation of Rs 10 lakh be given to the rape survivor and Rs 15 lakh be paid to prosecution as costs of the case.
Sengar had been found guilty of raping the minor by the court on December 16. The rape of the minor girl had triggered nationwide outrage given allegations the ruling BJP government was slow in arresting Sengar, a four-time MLA.
The victim's father died after being assaulted in police custody in April 2018, following which the rape survivor attempted self-immolation outside the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Earlier this year, the Unnao rape survivor was seriously injured in a car accident, which her family suspected was orchestrated by Sengar and his accomplices. Two of her aunts died in the accident, while her lawyer was seriously injured.
The CBI, which investigated and prosecuted the Unnao rape case, had sought the maximum possible punishment for Sengar, arguing that the court must consider the "cry of the girls in heinous crimes".
"The sentence must be commensurate with the gravity, seriousness and impact of the crime and its impact on the society at large should be considered. If we see the factual matrix of the case, right from the beginning, it is a quest for justice of an individual against the system. It is the fight of an individual against the system. Hence we seek the maximum punishment for the convict,” CBI's public prosecutor Ashok Bhartendu said.
While supporting CBI's submission, Dharmendra Mishra, the counsel appearing for the rape survivor, had also sought adequate monetary compensation for her. “An adequate monetary compensation should be given to the rape survivor. Since the convict is a public servant, it should be considered while granting the compensation,” the counsel said.
The counsel for Sengar contended that he had no prior criminal record and this should be considered while sentencing him.
