Expelled BJP MLA Sengar convicted of culpable homicide in Unnao rape victim's father death

Announcing a major judgement on Wednesday, a court in Delhi convicted expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the death of the Unnao rape victim's father. The rape victim's father had died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018.

District judge Dharmesh Sharma while pronouncing the verdict said that Sengar had no intention of killing the victim's father. "He was beaten in a brutal manner that led to his death," the judge said. The rape survivor's had father died on April 9, 2018, in judicial custody. Earlier the District judge had deferred the judgment and finally pronounced on Wednesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had examined 55 witnesses in support of the case and the defence examined nine witnesses. The court had recorded the statements of the rape survivor's uncle, mother, sister and one of her father's colleague who claimed to be an eyewitness to the incident.

Unnao murder case: Delhi court defers judgment to Wednesday

According to the CBI, on April 3, 2018, there was an altercation between the rape victim's father and one Shashi Pratap Singh. The charge sheet filed on July 13, 2018, said the victim's father and his co-worker were returning to their village, Makhi, when they asked Singh for a lift. Singh denied them the lift, triggering an altercation among them. Singh called his associates, following which Kuldeep Sengar's brother Atul Singh Sengar reached the spot along with others and beat up the woman's father and his co-worker. The woman's father was subsequently taken to the police station by them where an FIR was lodged against him and he was arrested. The charge sheet said that all this while Kuldeep Sengar was in touch with the district police superintendent and Makhi police station in-charge Ashok Singh Bhadauria. Later he also spoke to the doctor who examined the rape victim's father.

Sentenced for rape 

The court had on December 20 last year sent Sengar to jail for "remainder of his natural biological life" for raping the woman in 2017 when she was a minor. The court had earlier framed charges against Sengar, his brother Atul, Bhadauria, sub-inspector Kamta Prasad, constable Amir Khan and six others in the case.

In July last year, a truck rammed into the car the rape survivor was travelling in with some family members and her lawyer. Two of her aunts died in the incident. She was airlifted from a hospital in Lucknow and brought to the AIIMS in Delhi for better care as she continued to be critical. She has been given accommodation in Delhi and is under CRPF protection.

(inputs from PTI)

Expelled BJP MLA & 2018 Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar finally loses assembly seat