The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended the interim relief granted to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on medical grounds. Sengar had sought an extension of his bail, citing his scheduled cataract surgery on January 24.

Justice Vikas Mahajan, presiding over the matter, directed the investigating officer to verify Sengar’s medical documents.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the extension, which relates to Sengar’s conviction in the custodial death of the father of the Unnao rape victim. The agency argued that the original bail order did not provide for an extension. However, Sengar’s counsel countered, asserting that the order did not explicitly preclude extensions on medical grounds.

Sengar’s interim bail had initially been granted for medical reasons from December 10 to December 20, 2024, and was subsequently extended until January 20, 2025. He is serving a ten-year sentence in the custodial death case and a life sentence in the related POCSO case from 2018. Advocate Kanhaiya Singhal highlighted that Sengar had secured two-week bail for treatment in the POCSO case but remained incarcerated due to the custodial death sentence.

On December 5, 2024, the court had granted interim bail to Sengar to facilitate his medical treatment, directing his admission to AIIMS, New Delhi.

A division bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Amit Sharma had instructed AIIMS to evaluate Sengar’s condition and report whether the hospital could provide the necessary treatment. Sengar cited multiple health concerns, including diabetes, cataracts, and retinal issues.

During proceedings, Senior Advocate N. Hariharan, representing Sengar, mentioned his preference for retinal treatment at Shankar Netralaya, Chennai. However, Advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the rape survivor, opposed the bail plea, arguing that previous medical reports did not justify treatment outside AIIMS. Pracha also raised concerns about the safety of the victim if Sengar was granted extended relief.

Case Details:

• Case Title: Kuldeep Singh Sengar v Central Bureau of Investigation
• For Petitioner: Senior Advocate N. Hariharan with Advocates S.P.M. Tripathi, Aishwarya Singh, Rahul Poonia, Punya Rekha Angara, Vasundhara N., Sana Singh, and Vinayak
• For CBI: Advocate Mehmood Pracha