Kuldeep Singh Sengar Daughter: The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the suspension of Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s life sentence has triggered an emotional response from his daughter, Ishita Sengar, who says her family is struggling to cope with years of legal uncertainty and public hostility.
In an open letter released on Monday, Ishita described her state of mind after the apex court halted a Delhi High Court order that had earlier suspended her father’s life term. Her words reflected fear, exhaustion, and a fading sense of trust in the system.
“I am writing this letter as a daughter who is exhausted, frightened, and slowly losing faith, but still holding on to hope because there is nowhere else left to go,” she wrote.
What the Supreme Court Decided
The Supreme Court stayed the operation of the December 23 Delhi High Court order and ruled that Kuldeep Singh Sengar will not be released from prison in connection with the 2017 Unnao rape case.
A three-judge vacation bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih passed the order while hearing a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
“We are conscious of the fact that when a convict or an undertrial has been released, such orders are not ordinarily stayed by this court. But in view of the peculiar facts where the convict is convicted for a separate offence, we stay the operation of the Delhi High Court order,” the bench said.
Sengar remains in jail in another case related to the custodial death of the rape survivor’s father.
Who Is Kuldeep Singh Sengar
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former BJP MLA from Unnao, was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2019. The court convicted him of raping a minor under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
He is also serving a separate 10-year sentence in a CBI case linked to the death of the survivor’s father.
‘We Chose Silence, Not Power’: Ishita’s Letter
In her letter addressed to the “Hon’ble Authorities of the Republic of India,” Ishita said her family stayed silent for eight years because they trusted institutions.
“We chose silence not because we were powerful, but because we believed in institutions. We waited because we believed that truth does not need spectacle,” she wrote.
She questioned the idea that her family enjoyed privilege due to her father’s political background. “People call us ‘powerful.’ I ask you what kind of power leaves a family voiceless for eight years?” she said.
She added that the legal battle drained her family emotionally, financially, and physically.
Claims of Online Abuse and Threats
Ishita also spoke about the abuse she claims to have faced online. She said years of rape and death threats forced her into silence. “Over these years, I have been told countless times that I should be raped, killed, or punished simply for existing,” she wrote, calling the harassment “daily” and “relentless.”
She warned against letting public anger replace the legal process. “If pressure and public frenzy begin to overshadow evidence and due process, what protection does an ordinary citizen truly have?” she asked.
CBI and Survivor’s Family Respond
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described the case as “very horrific” and stressed that Sengar’s position as an MLA at the time warranted strict punishment under POCSO.
The bench also raised concerns that excluding lawmakers from the definition of “public servant” under POCSO could create dangerous legal gaps.
Meanwhile, the rape survivor’s mother welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. She said it restored her faith that her daughter would finally receive justice.
Fresh Claims by Aishwarya Sengar
After the order, Aishwarya Sengar, another daughter of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, alleged that her family was not allowed to argue the case fully.
“We couldn’t even start arguing on the merits of the case today… I’ve been fighting for justice for the past eight years… Still hope for justice. I request that the media not spread any misinformation,” she said.
The Supreme Court has sought Sengar’s response within four weeks and will hear the matter again in the last week of January.