SC transfers all cases related to Unnao rape to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh

Top court says lower court judge to finish hearing the case on day-to-day basis within 45 days, gives CBI gets 7 days to probe Sunday accident

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the transfer of all five cases in connection with the Unnao rape incident to a court in Delhi from a court in Uttar Pradesh. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also said that the Delhi court would hear the matter on a daily basis and finish it in 45 days.

An interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh will also be given by the Uttar Pradesh government to the rape victim, the three-judge bench said. Furthermore, the girl, her mother, and other members of the family will also be provided security by the Central Reserve Police Force, CJI Gogoi said.

The probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the fifth case related to the accident case in which the rape survivor and the lawyer were injured and two of the girl’s aunts were killed has to be completed within seven days, the top court said. An extension of only seven days will be given to CBI, the top court said, and “that too in exceptional circumstances”.

CBI, which has taken over the investigation into Sunday's road accident, booked 10 people for murder, including BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is already in jail, charged with the rape of the Unnao woman when she was a minor in 2017.

The order by the top court came during a suo-motto hearing after it came to light that the rape survivor had written to CJI Gogoi expressing fears that she and her family could be harmed by the BJP legislator’s men. CJI Gogoi had earlier said the letter, written on July 12, had not reached him until much later. On July 31, CJI Gogoi sought a report as to why the letter written by the girl had not reached him until July 30.

A transfer petition moved by the mother of the girl, seeking to transfer the case from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, had also not moved forward even after the initial notices sent by the top court. Both these events prompted the CJI to question Supreme Court secretary general Sanjeev S Kalgoankar. A committee led by a sitting judge of the top court will now examine if there were any lapses on part of the SC administration, CJI Gogoi said.

(With inputs from PTI)