New Delhi, March 13: A Delhi court on Friday awarded 10 years imprisonment to expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar for the death of Unnao rape survivor's father. Besides Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother and five other convicts were also sentenced to 10 years in jail by District Judge Dharmesh Sharma of Tis Hazari court. The case pertains to the death of rape survivor's father in custody on April 9, 2018.

Seven people, including Sengar, were convicted for killing the survivor's father earlier this month. They were held guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for offences such as conspiracy, culpable homicide, disappearance of evidence, framing incorrect record and wrongfully restraining a person, and the Arms Act. Four people were acquitted due to "benefit of doubt".

During the course of proceeding on Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which probed the crime, sought maximum punishment for the seven convicts. "They should be given maximum punishment as an innocent man was beaten to death. They committed a grievous offence," the public prosecutor told the court. The woman was allegedly kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor. Rape Accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar's Brother, Booked in Victim's Accident Case, Dies in Delhi.

According to the charge sheet filed in July 2018, the survivor's father and his co-worker asked for a lift from Shashi Pratap Singh. He denied it which then lead to an altercation. Singh then called his associates, including Sengar's brother Atul and others, who assaulted the survivor's father. He was taken to jail instead of the hospital even though he was seriously injured. He died two days later in police custody.

The CBI found that Sengar was in touch the whole time with the district police chief and Makhi police station in-charge Bhadauria. He later also talked to the doctor who examined the father. The matter came to light after a video clip showing Atul Sengar beating the father went viral on the social media. Sengar was earlier found guilty of sexual assault.

The court had, on December 20 last year, sent him to jail for "remainder of his natural biological life" for raping the woman. The court had observed that Sengar, along with four others, entered into "criminal conspiracy to teach a lesson to victim who dared to raise his head against him".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 13, 2020 11:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).