New Delhi: In a big embarrassment for the Uttar Pradesh government, the Supreme Court on Thursday transferred all cases related to the alleged rape of a girl in 2017 by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, including the accident involving her on Sunday, to Delhi.
It also ordered the Uttar Pradesh Government to give an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victim's family; extend CRPF protection to the victim in view of the lapse of the UP police, as also to her family members and the lawyer injured in the Sunday mishap.
The court also asked the CBI to complete the investigation into the accident within seven days to expedite the court proceedings. It will decide on Friday after obtaining views of the victim's family and her lawyer whether they should be shifted to a Delhi hospital.
The girl was allegedly raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was 15 and later allegedly gang raped by his men. He is in prison since April last year on an order of the Allahabad High Court.
The Bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi also summoned "a responsible CBI officer" to appear before it in the afternoon to apprise it on the probe into the collision in which the rape survivor truck was critically injured and her two aunts were killed; they were travelling with the girl’s lawyer for a court hearing. The Bench also ordered
the day-to-day hearing in all the five cases by a Delhi court, so as to complete them within 45 days.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has sought time till 10:30 am on Friday from the court, saying CBI officers who are probing the Unnao cases are outside Delhi.
However, the court refused the plea and said that the CBI chief can obtain case details on telephone and apprise it in the afternoon itself. CJI Gogoi said if a CBI officer can’t disclose the details of the case in the open court, as it may prejudice the investigations, he will be heard in the chamber.
This comes a day after the CJI took cognizance of the letter written by the victim and her mother to him on July 12, a fortnight before the tragedy. In her letter, the girl had said that she was under grave danger from the BJP MLA’s men for speaking up.
However, the letter was not tabled before the CJI and it came to his notice after the media highlighted the issue following Sunday’s accident.During the hearing on Thursday, the lawyer’s brother was also present who submitted evidence of the threats.
The cases to be decided by Delhi court are: Alleged rape by Sengar in which chargesheet has been filed; false case filed against the victim's father under Arms Act; death of the father in police custody in which the chargesheet has been already filed; gang rape of the victim one week after she was allegedly raped by Sengar; and collision of an unnumbered lorry with the victim's car while proceeding with her lawyer and two aunts for a court date.
