The Supreme Court, on Thursday, slammed authorities for slow probe in the Unnao rape survivor’s accident case and ordered the CBI to file a chargesheet within 14 days. The court also ordered the transfer of all the five cases involving the survivor to Delhi should be held on a day to day basis and completed within 45 days.
However, on request of survivor’s family to let her treatment continue at a Lucknow hospital instead of airlifting her to AIIMS in Delhi on Friday, the court said, “She won’t be shifted to Delhi for now.”
The court has also ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to give Rs 25 Lakh compensation by August, 2. Apart from that, it also asked the UP government to provide CRPF security cover to the mother and siblings of the rape survivor, and also to the lawyer.
Earlier on Thursday the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi ordered a probe in the delay of producing the rape survivor’s letter before the apex court and whether there was any negligence on the part of any officer of the SC registry.
Also Read: Unnao Rape Case: 15 Days Before “Accident”, Survivor Wrote Letter To CJI On Threat To Life
The action comes in the wake of a letter written by the survivor’s mother to the CJI in which she had said that there is a threat to their lives. Fifteen days later, the survivor met with an accident in which two of her relatives died while she was critically injured. The letter was later made public via media reports.
Taking cognizance of the letter, the CJI has asked the secretary-general of the SC to explain why the letter was not placed before him.
However, under normal circumstances, it can take anything between 20 to 25 days before any letter written to the CJI is presented before him. A former secretary-general of the SC registry, who did not want to be identified, told The Hindustan Times that the top court receives nearly 100 letters addressed to the CJI or simply the Supreme Court of India, every day.
The other four cases include the case in relation to rape of the minor victim on June 4, 2017; a false case registered against the victim’s father under the Arms Act; the custodial death of the victim’s father; and the second instance of a gang rape of the survivor on June 11, 2017.
For including compensation and witness protection, the SC also expanded the scope of its suo motu registered PIL on steps to curb child rape cases.
Further, the CJI ordered the CBI to present the FIR that included murder charges against rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar and asked to furnish details of the status of the probe into the accident, by the agency.
Following the accident, the CBI had registered a case against Sengar and 10 others accused. The agency also booked 20 unknown persons under charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and criminal intimidation.
Meanwhile, Sengar, who is lodged in Sitapur district jail, was expelled from the BJP on August 1. The case will now be heard in SC on August 2.
