The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar, expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA who was convicted in the Unnao rape case.

According to Bar and Bench, the two week bail has been granted on medical grounds for the treatment of a retinal detachment.

In December 2019, Sengar was sentenced to life for raping a woman in 2017. She was a minor when assaulted. Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Jaideep Singh Sengar, were also sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for the killing of the woman’s father in judicial custody in MArch 2020.

Justice Pratibha M. Singh directed that Sengar be admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to determine whether his condition can be treated locally or if he needs to be referred to another facility. The court directed Sengar not to contact the survivor and stay in a known location.

“Interim bail is granted for two weeks, and he will have to be admitted to AIIMS Delhi for three-four days for a review of his condition. AIIMS will determine whether his condition can be treated in Delhi. Sengar, if he is released from the hospital, must stay at a known location and not contact the survivor. The local CBI will stay in touch with AIIMS to monitor his activities. Sengar will remain in contact with the investigating officer daily,” the court ordered, as per Bar and Bench.

Senior Advocate Narayanan Hariharan argued that Sengar’s medical condition is serious and requires immediate attention. He mentioned that Sengar had been advised surgery for retinal detachment and wanted to get treatment in Chennai. Hariharan also pointed out that Sengar was suffering from other illnesses.

Representing the survivor, Advocate Mahmood Pracha opposed the bail petition. He argued that adequate medical treatment could be provided within jail. He expressed concerns about the authenticity of Sengar’s medical report.

Pracha emphasised that Sengar posed a potential threat to the survivor and her family, who are under the protection of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The Unnao rape survivor was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar between June 11 and June 20, 2017. She was then sold for Rs 60,000, after which she was rescued from the Makhia police station.

Following this, the survivor was allegedly threatened by police officers who warned her against speaking out.

The woman and her family have been provided security after a Supreme Court order in July 2019. The court had noted at the time that there was a threat to the lives of the survivor, her mother and her lawyer, among other persons.

This was after a truck without a license plate collided with the survivor’s car. The girl and her lawyer were severely injured, while her two aunts were killed.

This is the second time, Sengar has been granted bail.

Earlier, Sengar had been granted bail in 2023. At that time, he had cited the marriage of his daughter as a reason.