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Protests broke out at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday, a day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the CBI’s plea against the suspension of expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s life sentence in the Unnao rape case. Women’s rights activists and civil society members gathered at the protest site, demanding that the apex court overturn the Delhi High Court’s order, which they said had dealt a fresh blow to the survivor’s long and painful quest for justice.

VIDEO | Delhi: Women activists stage a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for the Unnao Rape case victim.

The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday a plea by the CBI challenging the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh… pic.twitter.com/XnZ2U1j3YZ

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 28, 2025

Protest At Jantar Mantar

The Supreme Court is set to hear the matter on Monday through a three-judge vacation bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Augustine George Masih. The Central Bureau of Investigation has challenged the Delhi High Court’s December 23 order suspending Sengar’s life imprisonment while his appeal against conviction remains pending.

Protesters at Jantar Mantar held placards and raised slogans, asserting that granting conditional bail to a convicted rapist in such an exceptional case undermines public confidence in the justice system. Several participants said the decision ignored the extraordinary violence and intimidation faced by the survivor and her family over the years.

Background Of The Case

The survivor has said she remains hopeful of justice. Speaking to ANI, she said she trusted the Supreme Court to protect her rights and those of countless other women. She alleged that delays and failures in the system had cost her family dearly, leaving them unsafe and traumatised.

The case dates back to 2017, when the survivor, then a minor, accused Sengar of raping her at his residence in Unnao. No immediate action followed. In April 2018, she attempted self-immolation outside the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s residence, forcing national attention on the matter.

Her father later died in judicial custody, with the family alleging he was assaulted by Sengar’s supporters. In July 2019, the survivor was critically injured when a truck rammed into the car she was travelling in, killing two of her aunts. The CBI later described the crash as a deliberate attempt to kill her.

The Supreme Court subsequently transferred the trial to Delhi. In December 2019, a Delhi court convicted Sengar and sentenced him to life imprisonment. While the high court has now suspended that sentence, Sengar remains in jail as he is also serving a 10-year term in the custodial death case.