Unnao rape case: SC to pass directions at 2 pm

The Supreme Court will pass directions at 2 pm on transferring to CBI the five cases registered in connection with the rape of a teenage girl in Unnao district for investigation and prosecution before a designated court in Uttar Pradesh. The top court is likely to shift the prosecution and trial of the cases outside the district.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will also pass an order, after receiving a report from doctors of Lucknow's King George Medical College hospital, to shift to AIIMS-Delhi the girl and her lawyer who were injured when their car was hit by a truck on Sunday. Her two aunts were killed in the accident. The bench said that it would like to know from the doctors of the Lucknow hospital whether they can be airlifted on air-ambulance.

"If the answer is yes, we will pass the order accordingly and if it is no, we will pass a different order," the bench said. The bench, comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, will also pass an order on the issue of delay in bringing the letter written by the woman, who was raped in 2017 when she was 17, and her family before the Chief Justice of India.

The letter, in which they had alleged threat to their lives from the main rape accused legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, reached the Supreme Court on July 17. The top court made clear that it will transfer the rape case out of Unnao district and had summoned a "responsible" CBI officer before it by 12 noon to provide details of the probe conducted so far in the sensational matter.

CBI Joint Director Sampat Meena, who is supervising the investigation in the main case, arrived in the courtroom as per the court's directions, along with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and narrated the sequence of events leading to the registration of the five cases. CBI told the bench that the first case, out of the five, relates to the rape and the charge sheet was filed against MLA and others who are in jail.

It said the second case pertains to Arms Act against the victim's father and was found to be fake. The agency said the third case was filed by the mother of the rape survivor regarding her husband being killed in police custody. Besides, there are two other cases.

During the hearing, the bench also hinted that the CBI will have to complete the probe relating to the road accident case in seven days. The apex court also questioned its own secretary general as to why the rape survivor's letter was not put before the CJI as early as possible, to which the official replied that it was being processed as per full court guidelines.

Senior advocate and amicus curiae V Giri sought protection for the victim's mother and alleged that her father was brutally assaulted in custody. "What's happening in this country? Things not happening within four corners of law," the bench said.

On Wednesday, the court had taken cognisance of the woman's letter to the CJI and had sought a report from its secretary general why it had not been brought to his notice since July 17.