"Frightened, Losing Faith": Unnao Rape Convict's Daughter Writes Open Letter

Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar's daughter wrote an open letter on Monday, claiming that her family is left "exhausted, frightened and slowly losing faith" as their legal battle continues for eight years.

Ishita Sengar's letter came on a day the top court stayed a Delhi High Court decision that suspended the life sentence of her father and expelled BJP MLA, who was convicted for raping a minor who had come to his residence in 2017 while he was in power to seek a job. As the case took its course, her father died in police custody a year later, while two of her relatives were killed in a car crash in 2019.

The former MLA's daughter wrote in a post on X that her family waited patiently for eight years as they trusted the Constitution and believed that "justice in this country does not depend on noise, hashtags, or public anger". Ishita Sengar added that the 'daughter of BJP MLA' label seemingly robs her of dignity or the right to speak. "I have been told countless times on social media that I should be raped, killed, or punished simply for existing. This hatred is not abstract. It is daily. It is relentless. And it breaks something inside you," she wrote.

Ishita Sengar said her family was "abused, mocked, and dehumanised every single day" and has been "drained financially, emotionally and physically" because they chose silence. "No one listened to them, she said, "Not because the facts were weak. Not because the evidence was lacking. But because our truth was inconvenient."

She wrote that more than injustice she now fears "a fear so loud that judges, journalists, institutions, and ordinary citizens are all pressured into silence".

To
The Hon'ble Authorities of the Republic of India,

I am writing this letter as a daughter who is exhausted, frightened, and slowly losing faith, but still holding on to hope because there is nowhere else left to go.

For eight years, my family and I have waited. Quietly.…

— Dr Ishita Sengar (@IshitaSengar) December 29, 2025

A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih also issued notice to Kuldeep Sengar seeking his response on the Central Bureau of Investigation's plea challenging the High Court order. It said the former lawmaker shall not be released from custody. It also expressed concern over the High Court's interpretation of the term "public servant" under Section 5 of the POCSO Act, observing that such a view could lead to an anomalous situation where elected lawmakers are excluded while lower-level officials are covered.

After the top court's order, Kuldeep Sengar's daughter, Aishwarya Sengar, who is also on his legal team, said the defence was not even allowed to advance arguments on the merits. "We couldn't even start arguing on the merits of the case today, because she has changed her statement several times, changed the timing thrice, starting from 2 pm, 6 pm and then finally 8 pm. The AIIMS medical board found that she was over 18. The CDR records show that I was not at the location of the alleged incident. It has also come on record that she herself was on a call at the alleged time of the incident," she said.

"I've been fighting for justice for the past eight years, but maybe the sorrows of me and my family mean nothing. We have been stripped of our dignity, our peace, and even our basic right to be heard. Still, I hope for justice. I request members of the media not to spread any misinformation," she said.

The High Court suspended the jail term of Kuldeep Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison. His sentence was suspended by the High Court till the pendency of his appeal challenging his conviction and sentence in the rape case. He has challenged a December 2019 trial court verdict in the case.