CJI to take up Unnao rape survivor’s letter on threats tomorrow, says it hadn’t reached him

india

Updated: Jul 31, 2019 12:22 IST

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took cognizance of a letter written by the Unnao rape survivor alleging threat to her life. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi will take up the letter on Thursday along with a report from the SC registry on the delay in placing it before the CJI. The 19-year-old woman was critically injured in an accident on Sunday and her family has pointed fingers at BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the main accused in the rape case.

“The letter has not been placed before me and newspapers flashed that CJI did not act,” Justice Gogoi said.

In the letter to the CJI, the rape survivor alleged that some people had asked her to take back cases and threatened her. “People came to my house and threatened to take back cases, otherwise whole family will be put in jail in fake cases,” says the letter written on July 12.

The woman and her lawyer were injured and two of her aunts killed in the accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli. She is battling for her life at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.

The opposition parties on Wednesday increased pressure on the UP government to act against Kuldeep Singh Sengar. Sunday’s accident case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the probe agency registered an FIR against Sengar and 10 others on Wednesday morning.

The Uttar Pradesh police have booked Sengar, his brother for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy. The MLA is alleged to have raped the woman at his residence in 2017. The woman’s father died last year in a jail where he was lodged in an alleged false case. An uncle of the girl was convicted this year in a case of attempt to murder and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The father of the woman was allegedly assaulted by Sengar’s brother and his aides after which he was arrested in April last year. He was not provided proper treatment and was sent to jail where his condition deteriorated. He succumbed to injuries in judicial custody on April 9.

CBI took over the case on April 12 last year. Ten people, including Sengar, his brother and two policemen have been arrested by the CBI.