New Delhi: The Delhi High Court’s decision on December 23, 2025 to suspend the life sentence of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar and grant him bail pending appeal has triggered widespread outrage, renewed protests by the Unnao rape survivor and sharp criticism from senior lawyers, women’s groups and political leaders.While the bail order does not immediately result in Sengar’s release because he remains incarcerated in connection with the custodial death of the survivor’s father, the suspension of sentence in the rape case has returned public attention to a case that has symbolised the abuse of power and the survivor’s long pursuit of justice since 2017.Within hours of the order, the survivor and her mother attempted to protest in Delhi but were stopped by security personnel, prompting further anger. Speaking to reporters, the survivor said the bail order was like kaal, or death, for her family, the Times of India reported. She said she would challenge the high court order in the Supreme Court, citing fears for the safety of her family and alleging lapses in security even before the verdict was pronounced.File photo of the convict in the case. Credit: PTIThe order has drawn strong reactions from the legal community. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, speaking to India Today, described the judgment as perverse beyond imagination and said it had deeply shaken his faith in the justice system.Political reactions followed quickly. On December 24, the survivor met Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi criticised the handling of the survivor’s protest and said the Congress stood with her in her fight for justice. He tweeted before he met the survivor:क्या एक गैंगरेप पीड़िता के साथ ऐसा व्यवहार उचित है?क्या उसकी “गलती” ये है कि वो न्याय के लिए अपनी आवाज़ उठाने की हिम्मत कर रही है?उसके अपराधी (पूर्व BJP MLA) को ज़मानत मिलना बेहद निराशाजनक और शर्मनाक है – खासकर तब, जब पीड़िता को बार-बार प्रताड़ित किया जा रहा हो, और वो डर के… https://t.co/BZqrVNXMOy— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 24, 2025(Is such treatment of a gang rape victim justified? Is it her “fault” that she dared to raise her voice for justice? It is extremely disappointing and shameful that her perpetrator (a former BJP MLA) was granted bail – especially when the victim is being repeatedly harassed and living in fear. Bail for rapists, and the victims treated like criminals – what kind of justice is this? We are not just a dead economy – with such inhumane incidents, we are also becoming a dead society. In a democracy, raising voices of dissent is a right, and suppressing it is a crime. The victim deserves respect, security, and justice – not helplessness, fear, and injustice.)The survivor repotedly said she now looked to the Supreme Court for relief. According to NDTV, she has also expressed a desire to meet President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. She said the order sent a frightening message to women across the country that even in rape cases, sentences could be suspended.Women’s organisations have also condemned the decision. In a statement issued on December 24, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) said the suspension of sentence ignored the history of intimidation, violence and institutional failure surrounding the case. “…this case sets a very dangerous precedent that well known criminals who have been duly convicted for a set of heinous crimes can thus be given freedom.”The statement was signed by P.K. Sreemathi, the president; Mariam Dhawale, the general secretary and Kirti Singh, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and vice president of AIDWA.They said that Sengar’s power and influence as an MLA placed him squarely in a position of trust, authority and dominance over the minor survivor, and accused investigative agencies of failing to support stronger charges. It called for the suspension order to be revoked and announced protests against the decision:“This leniency for a dreaded convict who functioned with blatant impunity is misplaced and unjust. The court further noted that since the convicted Sengar has already undergone the minimum sentence of 7 years, his sentence can be suspended; it is pertinent to mention that the minimum punishment is 10 years now after a 2019 amendment. In any case the maximum period under POCSO is life and it is not clear why the Court thought 7.5 years was enough. This leniency for a dreaded convict who functioned with blatant impunity is misplaced and unjust.”There was an outcry in other sections on Wednesday over the manner in which the protesting rape survivor was manhanlded by security, NDTV reported soon after the verdict. Other leaders also condemned the crushing of the protest by Delhi Police:Relief for the rapist & belt treatment for victim & her mother by Delhi police!!Shame on Delhi police who forcefully removed victim and her mother from protesting against the suspension of sentence of Kuldeep Sengar by Delhi HC…#UnnaoRapeVictim pic.twitter.com/ZJOpQKiq4I— Vijay Thottathil (@vijaythottathil) December 24, 2025The developments also led to controversial remarks, including one by Om Prakash Rajbhar, an ally of the BJP which is in power in Uttar Pradesh, where both the survivor and the perpetrator are from.Reporter: Police took away Unnao rape survivor from India gate.BJP allay OP Rajbhar: But her house is in Unnao. Hehehehehe. pic.twitter.com/HXFjj6qBcw— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) December 24, 2025The legal reasoning behind the high court’s order was detailed by legal web site Bar and Bench. It explained that the Delhi High Court held that Sengar could not be categorised as a public servant under Section 5 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act or under Section 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code (in operation when the crime occurred in 2019, though since replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita).File photo of a demonstration against rape. Credit: Wikimedia CommonsBar and Bench also said that the court found that Sengar did not fall within other aggravated categories under the law. On that basis, it concluded that the minimum punishment applicable was seven years, a period it said Sengar had already served, making suspension of sentence permissible pending appeal.The appeal in the rape case is scheduled to be heard in January 2026.The survivor’s challenge before the Supreme Court is expected to test not only the legal interpretation adopted by the high court, but a much bigger question – how the law courts recognise power, authority and vulnerability in cases of sexual violence.The laws to prevent, prosecute and punish the crime of rape were amended after a brutal grangrape in 2012 of a young woman, who later died of severe injuries, returning from watching a movie in Delhi.