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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the plea filed by expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, seeking suspension of his sentence in the case related to the custodial death of the father of the Unnao rape survivor.

On March 13, 2020, a trial court sentenced Sengar to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. It imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh for the custodial death, observing that “no leniency” could be shown in a case involving the killing of a family’s “sole bread earner”.

The trial court had also awarded 10-year jail terms to Sengar’s brother, Atul Singh Sengar, and five other accused for their role in the incident. The victim’s father was arrested under the Arms Act at the behest of Sengar and died in custody on April 9, 2018, with the court holding that he succumbed to police brutality while in detention.

While the court did not convict the accused for murder under the IPC, it awarded the maximum punishment under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), concluding that although there was no intention to kill, the acts resulted in death.

Sengar is also serving a life sentence till the remainder of his natural life in the 2017 rape case involving the minor survivor. His appeal against the December 2019 conviction in the rape case is pending before the High Court.

Although the High Court had suspended Sengar’s sentence in the rape case on December 23, 2025, pending appeal, the order was stayed by the Supreme Court of India on December 29, 2025. With Monday’s order, Sengar will continue to remain in custody in the custodial death case as well.