New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to expelled BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is serving a life sentence in the Unnao rape case.

The High Court also suspended Sengar’s jail term while allowing his bail plea. Sengar was convicted in December 2019 for the rape of a minor girl in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

A bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar released Sengar on bail while directing him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties of the like amount.

The high court also directed Sengar not to come within a 5 km radius of the victim's house and not threaten her or her mother.

"Violation of any of the conditions would lead to cancellation of bail," the court said.

His sentence has been suspended by the high court till the pendency of his appeal challenging his conviction and sentence in the rape case. He has challenged the December 2019 trial court verdict in the rape case.

The Unnao rape case relates to the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl on June 4, 2017. On December 16, 2019, a Delhi court found Sengar guilty of rape, and on December 20, 2019, he was awarded life imprisonment.

Sengar was also convicted in a separate case related to the death of the victim’s father, who died in judicial custody following alleged custodial assault.