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A Delhi court on Friday, 9 August, framed charges against expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl in Unnao in 2017.
The CBI had told the Delhi court on Thursday that Sengar and his brother had assaulted the father of the girl and framed him in an Arms Act case, in collusion with three state police officials and five others.
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On Sunday, 28 July, a car carrying Unnao rape survivor, who levelled rape allegations against expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, collided with a truck in Raebareli while they were on their way to meet her uncle in jail.
The accident killed her two aunts, critically injuring the survivor and her lawyer Mahendra Singh. The family of the survivor alleged that Sengar and his men were behind the case. CBI later filed an FIR against him and nine others.
In a letter dated on 12 July to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, the survivor had alleged they are being threatened by Sengar’s men.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the transfer of all cases linked to the Unnao rape incident to Delhi and sought completion of probe into the car-truck collision case in seven days.
It also ordered security to the survivor, her family, injured lawyer and his family and directed the state of Uttar Pradesh to give Rs 25 lakh Interim compensation to the rape survivor.
If she should be shifted to a hospital in Delhi, the SC said counsel for survivor's family should take opinion of the family. Similar opinion is to be sought by Amicus Curiae from lawyer’s family.
The apex court also said the trial in the Unnao rape case should be completed within 45 days, PTI reported.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi made it clear that CBI can only seek extension of time for probe in the collision case in exceptional circumstances.
A cheque of Rs 25 Lakh was handed over to the family of Unnao rape survivor by the UP government on orders of the Supreme Court on Thursday, 1 August.
"A cheque of Rs 25 lakh was handed over to the family members of the Unnao rape survivor by district magistrate of Lucknow Kaushal Raj Sharma and SSP Lucknow Kalanidhi Naithani," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in a statement in Lucknow.
After Supreme Court’s order in Unnao case on Thursday, the survivor’s sister said “had government done all this (what court ordered) earlier, we would not have lost our family members.”
She also said that the doctors know better if the survivor should be airlifted to Delhi or not. “Doctors know better. If they feel, she is being given the best treatment and improving on health, then it is okay to keep her here (Lucknow). We want her to be fine.”
Family members also demand to shift survivor’s uncle, who is lodged in Raebareli jail, to Delhi.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Supreme Court order is a stamp on Uttar Pradesh government’s failure.
"The Supreme Court's decision is a stamp on the prevailing jungle raj in Uttar Pradesh and the state government's failure," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"The BJP has finally acknowledged that it had given protection to a criminal and by expelling him it has taken at least one step to correct its mistake," she said.
The mother of the survivor said her treatment is going well at the Lucknow hospital and they will not be shifting her to Delhi.
This comes after the Supreme Court said the counsel for the survivor's family should take opinion of the family if she should be airlifted to a hospital in Delhi.
After the Unnao rape survivor’s mother said that she doesn’t want her daughter to be immediately airlifted to Delhi’s AIIMS as the Lucknow hospital was treating her well, the Supreme Court, on Friday, 2 August, deferred her shifting.
The top court also ordered immediate transfer of the survivor’s uncle from Rae Bareli jail to Tihar jail.
The CJI has nominated Deepak Gupta to hear all matters related to the case.
King George's Medical University on Friday said the condition of the injured is critical but stable, the survivor is still on a ventilator while the lawyer is off from the ventilator.
CBI has asked for details of the politician's visitors in jail, NDTV reported.
Sources say CBI officials have recorded the statement of police officers who arrived first at the site of the crash.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday ordered a probe after a policeman posted at the Sitapur jail, where rape accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar is lodged, was seen in a video allegedly being bribed by a person considered close to the legislator.
In the video, a policeman is seen allegedly being bribed by a man outside the Sitapur jail, PTI reported.
The man in the video, Rinku Shukla, a panchayat member of Unnao, told reporters that he was not bribing the policeman to meet the Bangermau MLA.
"It's my habit. I might have given money to him (policeman) for having tea as he was standing there. My intention was not to bribe him. I have met Sengar inside the jail 10-15 days ago," he said.
When asked why he met Sengar, Shukla said, "I met him because he is our (constituency's) MLA. I am not in the BJP..".
In another part of the video, a motorcycle-borne man is heard asking someone to arrange a meeting with the MLA and he was told "there is a pressure".
The Supreme Court on Friday, 2 August, modified its order and deferred the transfer of the Unnao car-truck collision case, involving the rape survivor, to Delhi for 15 days.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta, took note of the submission of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, that the accident took place last Sunday and the investigation was in progress.
Mehta said since the probe in the accident was still pending, the case cannot be transferred under the provisions of law and sought indulgence of the bench that its transfer be kept in abeyance till the conclusion of the probe.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said on Friday that the pain and agony of the Unnao rape survivor and her family puts the ruling government to shame.
"The pain and agony which the Unnao rape victim and her family suffered from the ruling dispensation is unpardonable and puts the government to shame and this cannot be compensated," Mayawati posed on Twitter.
The BSP chief said the Supreme Court deserved praise for its intervention, adding that justice could be meted out only if the guilty get strict punishment.
The CBI has constituted an additional special team of 20 officers to probe the Unnao car-truck collision case involving the rape survivor.
"CBI has constituted an additional special team of around 20 investigating officers, including SP, ASP, DSP, inspector and sub-inspector-level officers, to assist in the case registered on 30 July related to the accident of Unnao rape survivor and other offences," a CBI spokesperson said.
“A six-member Central Forensic Science Laboratory team has left for the location where the accident occurred. Investigation in the matter will be conducted in the light of the direction of the Supreme Court," the spokesperson added.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court order in the Unnao rape case, and said the victim and her kin can settle in the state and his government would treat her as a "daughter of the state".
Expelled BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar continues to have his arms licence because of delay in the judicial process, police said on Friday.
"The cancellation of the arms licence is a judicial matter and not administrative. A decision on it can only be taken after (the court) hearing both the parties," District Magistrate Divendra Kumar Pandey said.
"The police has filed its report in connection with the cancellation of the licence and the MLA's lawyer has also filed a reply on behalf of Sengar. Since lawyers had been on strike, hearing could not take place. Now a decision will be taken," he said.
Sengar has the licence to posses a single barrel gun, a rifle and a revolver.
The uncle of the Unnao rape survivor, has been shifted to Delhi's Tihar Jail from Raebareli jail, following Supreme Court’s order.
A six-member team of experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory used a car of similar make to recreate the fatal collision scene involving the Unnao rape survivor in Rae Bareli, news agency PTI reported on Friday, quoting officials.
The team of forensic experts will support the five-member CBI investigation unit in Lucknow which has been supplemented by 20 officers of an additional special team dispatched from Delhi, CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar reportedly said.
The forensic team reached the accident spot in Gurubaksganj early Friday morning and arranged a car and a truck similar to the ones that were involved in the 28 July collision.
The truck driver was directed to travel at various speeds towards the car from the opposite lane to recreate various scenarios which could have led to the suspicious accident, the officials said, as reported by PTI.
District Magistrate has issued an order to cancel the license of all the arms and weapons of the expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, reported ANI.
A team of CBI arrives at Sitapur District Jail for questioning the accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar, in connection with Unnao rape case, reported ANI.
A team of CBI arrives at the residence of the Unnao rape survivor's lawyer, who is admitted in Lucknow's KGMU after being injured in accident, for investigation, reported ANI.
The Unnao rape survivor who is on ventilator at the KJMU hospital, now has pneumonia. She is being administered with blood pressure medicines, a statement from the hospital read.
Meanwhile, the lawyer is off the ventilator.
The arms licenses of expelled BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar have been cancelled, officials said in Unnao on Saturday, 3 August. Sengar had licenses to posses a single barrel gun, a rifle and a revolver.
The Unnao district magistrate had ordered for revocation of the licenses following a demand by family members of the rape survivor.
Delhi's Tis Hazari court has issued a production warrant against accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar and Shashi Singh asking them to be produced before the court on 5 August, 12.30 pm. The hearing in the case will resume from Monday. The court has also issued production warrant against some other accused, asking them to be present in the court on 6 August.
The CBI on Saturday quizzed expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is lodged in a prison in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district. A three-member team of the central investigation agency visited the Sitapur district jail and questioned the expelled MLA for several hours.
The CBI is carrying out searches at multiple locations in connection with the Unnao rape survivor’s collision case, officials cited by PTI said on Sunday.
The details of searches have been withheld as the operation is going on but it is understood that 17 places are being searched including Kuldeep Sengar’s residence, they said.
Unnao rape case accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar and Shashi Singh are being taken to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur Jail. They will be produced in Delhi's Tis Hazari Court tomorrow.
Accused former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, to be produced in Delhi's Tis Hazari Court on Monday, said “everything is a political conspiracy” and that he prayed to god that the survivor recovers.
Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has announced state-wide protests on 9 August to highlight the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. The SP president said that protests will coincide with the Kranti Diwas which is marked annually on 9 August.
“There is a complete 'jungle raj' in the state. In every district, there has been a spurt in the crime graph. SP workers are being targeted in every district. BJP leaders are giving patronage to criminal elements in the state,” party's national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told IANS.
The Supreme Court will decide on 9 August the issue of transfer of the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer to AIIMS at Delhi for better medical care.
The CBI also informed the top court on Monday that the uncle of the rape survivor has been transferred to Tihar jail in Delhi from Uttar Pradesh in pursuance of an earlier order.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the shifting of the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer from Lucknow to AIIMS in New Delhi for treatment.
According to the medical bulletin shared by the King George’s Medical University on Monday, both the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer are “critical but stable”.
“There has been improvement in the health of the female patient,” the bulletin said, adding that she is opening her eyes and following commands from the medical staff.
“The male patient is breathing without ventilator support and is in deep coma,” it said.
Delhi’s Tis Hazari court, on Monday, ordered the expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and co-accused Shashi Singh to be shifted to Delhi’s Tihar Jail in connection with the Unnao rape case.
Sengar and his accomplice Shashi Singh were produced before the court on Monday, in the case pertaining to the alleged rape of the girl by the lawmaker at his residence in Unnao on 4 June 2017.
Both the accused were produced before Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma.
The CRPF personnel has reached KJMU Hospital to airlift the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer, who will undergo further treatment at AIIMS, Delhi.
The two will be airlifted to Delhi via a Green corridor, Lucknow Traffic SP Purnendra Singh said, according to ANI.
The Unnao rape survivor, who suffered critical injuries in a car-truck collision last week, was airlifted to Delhi following the Supreme Court directive, PTI reported.
“The condition of rape survivor is improving. The process of removing the ventilator has started but she has to be given medicines to maintain her blood pressure," Trauma Centre in-charge Dr Sandeep Tiwari said.
The rape survivor's lawyer is breathing without a ventilator but his condition is not improving and he is still in deep coma, the doctor said, adding that the condition of both was “serious, but stable”.
The ambulance carrying the lawyer of the Unnao rape survivor has left from King George Medical University Hospital in Lucknow.
He is being shifted to AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Delhi, according to ANI.
Delhi's Tis Hazari Court has sought information from the CBI regarding the safety and lodging facility to the family and victim's attendants. The Court has also sought a report from DG UP regarding the protection of witnesses there, reports ANI.
The Unnao rape survivor admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre remains critical and is on life support system, sources at the hospital told PTI on Tuesday, 6 August.
The victim's lawyer, who was also critically injured, was admitted to the Trauma Centre on Tuesday. The victim has been kept in the ICU.
The Delhi Traffic Police had created a green corridor on Monday to shift the rape survivor from the Indira Gandhi International Airport to the Trauma Centre at the All India Institute of Medical Science , covering a distance of around 14 km in 18 minutes.
"She is sick and on life support system needing medication to support her blood pressure. The patient remains critical and is undergoing treatment under multi-disciplinary team of doctors," sources at the hospital said.
A Delhi court on Wednesday directed the media to abstain from reporting names and address of the Unnao rape survivor, her family and witnesses.
District Judge Dharmesh Sharma issued a slew of guidelines on media reporting including abstaining from reporting on testimonies of witnesses and merits of the case.
The court is holding a day-to-day trial in the case as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
It had, on Monday, directed expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused of raping the woman at his residence in Unnao in 2017 when she was a minor, to be shifted to the Tihar jail here from the Sitapur prison in Uttar Pradesh.
The Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer, admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre in Delhi, remain critical and on advanced life support, hospital officials said on Wednesday, 7 August.
The Lucknow hospital officials had said the rape victim had developed pneumonia.
AIIMS officials said the lawyer has severe traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures.
The CBI on Thursday, 8 August, told a Delhi court that MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother assaulted the father of the 17-year-old Unnao rape case survivor and framed him in an Arms Act case, in collusion with three state police officials and five others.
The agency submitted to District Judge Dharmesh Sharma that the MLA and his "accomplices", got lodged an FIR, accusing the rape survivor’s father of possessing a country-made pistol and four live cartridges.
The FIR also accused the survivor's father of verbally abusing the MLA's brother Atul Singh Sengar and others involved in the case.
CBI counsel Ashok Bhartendu told the court that the three police officials, accused in the case of assaulting the survivor's father, included the then Makhi police station's in-charge Ashok Singh Bhadauria, Sub Inspector Kamta Prasad and Constable Amir Khan.
The Unnao rape survivor is battling severe blood infection because of which six of the seven antibiotics being given to her have been rendered ineffective, reported IANS.
The report of a blood culture examination of the girl showed she has serious infection in her blood.
The report came after she was shifted to the AIIMS in Delhi from the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow on 6 August.
Nipender Singh, a relative of Unnao rape accused Kuldeep Singh Senger demanded polygraph and narco-analysis tests of the latter should be conducted to know about the truth.
"Kuldeep Singh Senger is innocent. We have seen his attitude. If he has done something wrong, then scientific evidence should be collected. polygraph test should be conducted. The victim reported about the incident after five months. So, the DNA test cannot be conducted now. Only the polygraph or narco test can be conducted now. We should come to a judgement after examining the evidence," Nipender told ANI.
A Delhi court has framed charges of rape against expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar for allegedly raping a minor in Unnao in 2017, reported PTI. The court has also framed charges against Sengar's accomplice Shashi Singh for kidnapping a minor girl.