The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, issued a direct order to the Delhi Government. They must, within two weeks, provide a comprehensive report detailing any perceived threats to the mother and immediate family of the victim from the 2017 Unnao rape case.
This directive came during a hearing of a petition submitted by the victim’s mother, who expressed serious concerns about the safety and freedom of herself and her close relatives. The case was presided over by a bench comprising Justices Pankaj Mithal and P.B. Varale.
The Supreme Court unequivocally instructed the Delhi government to submit a sworn affidavit addressing these critical safety concerns within the stipulated two-week timeframe.
The victim’s mother is specifically appealing for the Supreme Court to reconsider and withdraw its previous order from March 25. That order had unfortunately removed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security detail assigned to her family and other key witnesses in the case.
Previously, the Supreme Court had decided against removing the CRPF security provided to the rape victim herself, acknowledging that a threat perception still existed for her. However, the same protection was lifted from her family and other witnesses, with the court citing that a conviction in the case had already been secured.
The Court’s earlier reasoning was that “We are of the opinion that protection granted by this court to the concerned persons at the relevant time may not be continued as the case has resulted in conviction who is awarded life imprisonment.”
Despite this, the Supreme Court had explicitly stated, “However we make it clear that the CRPF cover for the victim shall continue till further orders of this court.”
The Court had also advised that family members and other witnesses were free to contact local police should they perceive any new threats to their safety.
It is worth noting that the Centre had initiated the plea to withdraw the CRPF security cover from the family, an action taken after the court’s 2019 order.
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former BJP leader, is currently serving a life sentence for the 2017 rape of a minor girl in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.
On August 1, 2019, the Supreme Court had previously mandated that the rape victim, her mother, other family members, and their legal counsel all receive security provided by the CRPF.
Furthermore, all five cases related to the rape were transferred by the apex court from Lucknow to Delhi. A designated special court was instructed to conduct daily trials and conclude proceedings within a strict 45-day deadline.
The Supreme Court also ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to disburse an interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to the victim.
Currently, Sengar’s appeal against the trial court’s verdict in the Unnao rape case is awaiting judgment in the Delhi High Court. He is seeking to overturn the December 2019 ruling that sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Additionally, on March 13, 2020, Sengar received a separate sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. This was in connection with the custodial death of the victim’s father.
The victim’s father had been apprehended under the Arms Act and tragically passed away while in custody on April 9, 2018.
While the trial court did not find the accused guilty of murder, it imposed the maximum sentence for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the IPC on the convicts, concluding that there was no intent to kill.