Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

Shocked at the sequence of events in the Unnao rape case, allegedly involving expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the Supreme Court today transferred all five criminal cases connected with the rape incident from a court in Uttar Pradesh to a special CBI court in Delhi.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi ordered the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to the victim.

“In any circumstance, the investigation (in the accident case) will be completed within a fortnight from today, preferably within seven days,” said the Bench that also included Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Aniruddha Bose.

“What is going on in this country?” a shocked CJI commented after being explained the sequence of events of the case, custodial death of the victim’s father and the accident that killed two of her aunts and critically injured her and her lawyer.

Transferring all five cases to the court of Special CBI Judge Dharmesh Sharma in Delhi, the court said, “The trial judge to whom the cases have been earmarked will commence the trial forthwith on a day-to-day basis and will ensure completion of trial of all five cases within 45 days from the commencement of the trial.”

Giving liberty to the accused to seek modification of the order, the Bench said it deemed it proper to pass an ex parte order of transfer and expeditious trial “in the facts and circumstances of the case”. Ordering the CRPF to provide security to the victim, her mother and other family members forthwith, it sought compliance report by Friday.

The Bench said it would take a call on shifting the victim and her lawyer from the Lucknow hospital to AIIMS in New Delhi on Friday as it asked the victim’s counsel to get instructions from her family members.

The Bench will take up a plea of the survivor’s uncle — lodged in a jail in Rae Bareli — to be shifted to a jail in Delhi for security reasons.

On the issue of inordinate delay in placing victim’s letter before the CJI, the Bench ordered a probe by top court’s Secretary General to be completed in seven days.

Other developments in top court

1 CBI court asked to complete probe in accident case in a fortnight, preferably in a week

2 CRPF to provide adequate security to victim and her family members forthwith

3 Shifting of critically injured victim, her lawyer from Lucknow to Delhi to be taken up on Friday

4 Delay in placing victim’s letter before CJI to be probed by SC Secretary General in seven days

5 UP Govt to inform SC on Friday if victim’s uncle needs to be shifted to Delhi from Rae Bareli jail

SC expresses shock

What is going on in this country? In any circumstance, the probe will be completed within a fortnight, preferably 7 days. —Supreme Court Bench

‘BJP backed criminal’

The BJP finally acknowledges having empowered a criminal and takes some action to correct itself and move in the direction of justice for a young woman who has suffered immeasurably. —Priyanka Gandhi, Cong

Road to ‘justice’

June 4, 2017: A 17-year-old girl allegedly raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar

April 8: Victim tries to immolate herself outside CM Adityanath’s residence alleging police inaction

April 9: Her father dies in custody due to alleged police torture post arrest under the Arms Act

April 13: Sengar arrested

July 4, 2019: Victim’s uncle convicted in a 19-year-old case and sentenced to 10-year jail in a case filed by Sengar’s brother Atul Singh

July 17: Victim, her family write a letter to CJI Ranjan Gogoi claiming threat to their lives

July 28: Truck rams car in which the victim, her family and lawyer are travelling, killing her 2 aunts

July 29: FIR against Sengar, nine others in the road accident case

August 1: SC directs transfer of all five rape-related cases from a court in UP to a court in Delhi