India's Supreme Court has put on hold a controversial order that had suspended the life sentence of a former lawmaker convicted of raping a teenager.
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, formerly of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was found guilty in 2019 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
But last week, the Delhi high court suspended his sentence and granted him conditional bail - although Sengar remained in jail in a separate case related to the death of the survivor's father.
The high court order sparked outrage and protests, including from the survivor and her mother.
The crime against the 17-year-old in Uttar Pradesh state's Unnao district was one of the most horrific in India in recent years.
