advertisement
After the Supreme Court, on Thursday, 1 August, asked the counsel to take Unnao rape survivor’s family's opinion into consideration in regards to shifting her to a hospital in Delhi, the medical board gave its nod to the transfer.
The apex court also transferred all the cases related to the Unnao rape incident to Delhi and ordered completion of probe into the car-truck collision case in seven days.
It directed the state of Uttar Pradesh to give Rs 25 lakh interim compensation to the rape survivor.
Earlier on Thursday, the Bharatiya Janata Party expelled the main accused in the Unnao rape case, MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Acting in compliance with the Supreme Court order, the Unnao district administration sent a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to the Lucknow district magistrate for handing it over to the rape survivor's family, PTI reported.
Clarifying the confusion over the expulsion of Unnao rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Uttar Pradesh BJP President Swatantra Dev Singh said that the central leadership has expelled Sengar from the party.
Earlier, the BJP leader had said, Sengar was "suspended," instead of "expelled."
The state leadership had suspended him and now the top party brass has expelled him from the BJP, Singh added.
The Supreme Court has designated District Judge Dharmesh Sharma of Delhi as competent court to hold trial in five cases relating to Unnao rape incident, PTI reported.
The CPI(M) on Thursday alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has blatantly subverted the process of justice in the Unnao rape case and hailed the Supreme Court for intervening in the case, according to PTI.
“It has taken two years after the crime for BJP to expel him showing the utter hypocrisy of their Beti Bachao slogan. Shame on them,” CPI(M) politbureau member Brinda Karat said.
Apprising the status of the lawyer Mahendra Singh and the rape survivor who have been undergoing treatment, the King George's Medical University said, both the patients are critical but stable.
The lawyer has been intermittently on the ventilator, while the rape survivor has been on the ventilator throughout. Both the patients are being monitored by a team of expert doctors.
Devendra Singh, brother of lawyer Mahendra Singh who was critically injured in a car crash in Raebareli along with the Unnao rape survivor, has said that he has photographic evidence of accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar's men stalking his house and intimidating the family, according to IANS.
Showing the photographs, Devendra Singh said that Manoj Sengar (the MLA's bother) and Hari Pal Singh, an accused in the car crash conspiracy, were seen outside his house.
After the Unnao rape case accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar was expelled from the BJP, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Thursday that the BJP has finally acknowledged "having empowered a criminal" and taken some action to correct itself.
The Unnao rape survivor's aunt, who was killed in a mishap in Raebareli district, was cremated in her village, about 70 km from Barabanki, on Thursday, 1 August, PTI reported.
Her remains were brought to the village in Subeha area from Lucknow amid tight security. The last rites were performed by her son in the presence of her two daughters.
The Supreme Court will hear the Unnao case again on Friday, 2 August.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered to transfer all the cases related to the Unnao rape incident to Delhi and ordered 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.
The Solicitor General said the survivor can be shifted to Delhi if the medical condition allows, Bar and Bench reported.
A statement by the hospital where the survivor and the advocate are admitted said that both of them are critical and on ventilator, however, their condition is as stable as yesterday.
The Supreme Court during the hearing said it will grant compensation to the rape survivor and her family, and directed the state to pay compensation.
On the delay of placing the Unnao rape survivor’s letter before CJI, Secretary General said the Supreme Court received 1,100 more letter petitions and that the survivor's letter was being processed as per court guidelines, PTI reported.
He said that the registry was in the process of screening when it came to know from reports that victim had written to CJI.
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi sets a seven-day deadline to investigate the case car-truck collision involving the Unnao rape survivor.
He asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to investigate it in a week after he sought one month’s time for the investigation.
The rape and murder accused MLA Kuldeep Singh was sacked by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday, 1 August.
Amid outrage over the party keeping mum about the Unnao case and Sengar, BJP chief earlier this week had claimed Sengar had been suspended last year without any official press release issued.
Three security personnel charged with Unnao rape survivor’s security were suspended on Thursday for negligence.
Constable Sudesh Patel, Constable Sunita and Constable Ruby Kumari were suspended.
After the Supreme Court asked CBI officials to be present in the court to provide information in the Unnao case, the Solicitor General sought time till 10:30 am Friday, stating that officers probing the cases are outside Delhi.
The court refused the plea and said the CBI chief can gather case details on telephone and apprise it today itself.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that all the cases related to Unnao rape incident will be transferred out of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.
“We are going to transfer all cases related to this rape incident out of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh,” the apex court said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the presence of a "responsible CBI officer" in court to apprise it of the progress of Unnao case, Bar and Bench reported.
CJI Ranjan Gogoi said if CBI officer cannot disclose the details of the case, he would be heard in chambers by Supreme Court.
The father-in-law of the lawyer Mahendra Singh, who was critically injured in the car-truck collision on Sunday, 28 July, was admitted to the hospital after high blood pressure.
An initiative that is a part of the police security week backfired for the UP Police on Wednesday, when a student at a school in Barabanki questioned them about the Unnao case.
During a lecture by the police at the Anand Bhawan school about the right to raise one's voice and protest, a Class XI student, stood up and said:
"You said we should raise our voice and protest. We know a teen was raped by a BJP leader. Everyone knows it was no accident. The truck number plate was painted black... It is one thing to protest when an ordinary person is involved, but what happens when the person is someone powerful?
"We know no action will be taken if we protest and even if action is taken, it will be of no use. The girl is in a critical state... If we protest, how will you ensure justice? How will you guarantee my safety? What's the guarantee that nothing will happen to me," she further asked.
The entire incident was recorded on video.
In the FIR filed by the CBI in the truck collision case involving the Unnao rape survivor, the son-in-law of a Minister of State in Uttar Pradesh has also been named as an accused.
The 'accused number 7' is Arun Singh, the son-in-law of UP MoS Ravendra Pratap Singh.
He is the Minister of State for Agriculture, Agriculture Education and Research in the Yogi Adityanath government and a BJP MLA from Husainganj in Fatehpur. Arun Singh, close to Kuldeep Sengar, is a block pramukh from Nawabganj in Unnao.
A statement issued by the King George's Medical University in Lucknow, where the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer are being treated, on Wednesday said, "Both patients are stable, (there's been a) slight improvement in the condition of the rape survivor. Both patients (are) still in critical condition."
The rape survivor’s uncle has placed the blame on BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar for the collision that took place in Raebareli on Sunday, in which his wife succumbed to injuries, saying he has proof of Sengar’s involvement.
"My entire family has been finished, I have evidence. Kuldeep Sengar is behind the whole incident," the uncle said when he had come to attend his wife's last rites ceremony.
“I have complete faith in CBI that we will get justice, but I have no faith in the BJP government,” the daughter of the Unnao survivor’s aunt said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation will question suspended BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the gunman provided to the survivor for her protection, ANI reported quoting sources.
A 12 member team of the CBI reached the site where Unnao rape survivor’s car collided with a truck in Raebareli to investigate the case, CNN News18 reported.
Arun Singh, one of the accused named in the FIR filed by CBI is the son-in-law of UP BJP Minister Ranvendra Pratap Singh.
CBI registered a case against suspended BJP MLA Sengar and nine others accused on Wednesday.
“CBI is investigating the matter. Everything will be clear in the investigation. He is my relative there is no doubt it, but that is not a crime,” the UP minister said.
Samajwadi Party Chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, who met the family of the survivor on Tuesday, said they have no faith in the administration anymore.
“Yesterday I met the family, they are in immense pain. They do not believe the administration anymore because they have struggled since day one, they want justice. Hopeful that government will give them justice,” he said.
The Supreme Court will hear the Unnao case on Thursday, 1 August. The apex court also sought a report from its secretary general for the delay in placing the letter by survivor had written to CJI on 12 July.
On the letter dated 12 July by Unnao survivor, CJI Ranjan Gogoi said “unfortunately, the letter is yet to see the light of the day and newspapers flashed the news as if I have read it.”
Gogoi sought a report from the Supreme Court registry asking it to file a reply within a week in the delay in placing the 12 July letter written by the Unnao rape survivor's family.
SC sought a report from its secretary general for the delay.
The condition of the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer, undergoing treatment at the King George Medical University hospital in Lucknow after getting critically injured in a car-truck collision, is stable, said doctors on Tuesday.
"The rape survivor has sustained multiple fractures. A CT scan was conducted on her. It revealed no head injury. Her condition is stable and doctors are monitoring her situation round the clock." KGMU's Trauma Centre in-charge, Dr Sandeep Tiwari Tuesday told PTI. The survivor, however, is still on a ventilator, he added.
Asked about her lawyer's condition, Dr Tiwari said the advocate was removed from the ventilator for sometime on Tuesday during which his condition remained stable.
"He was, however, put again on the ventilator," he added.
CBI registered a case against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and nine others accused.
A case has been registered against 20 unknown persons for alleged criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and criminal intimidation.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) had sought a report from the Supreme Court registry asking it to file a reply within a week, as to why there was a delay in placing the 12 July letter written by the Unnao rape survivor's family before him, ANI reported.
The health condition of Unnao rape survivor remains critical as she has been put on ventilator again.
Meanwhile, the last rites of her deceased aunts will be performed around 10-11 am on Wednesday, 31 July, reports Aishwarya S Iyer from Lucknow.
The Centre on Tuesday handed over to the CBI probe into the collision in which the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer were critically injured and her two aunts killed, officials said.
An order from the Department of Personnel and Training said the case is being handed over to the agency to probe "abetment and conspiracies" into the collision.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the expulsion of rape-accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar from the party.
In the letter, also addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP working president J P Nadda, Maliwal also sought the MLA's expulsion from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
In her letter, Maliwal alleged that the demand to sack Sengar had so far fallen on deaf ears.
The BJP-RSS combine is flagrantly using its power to silence opponents, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) alleged on Tuesday, terming the accident involving the Unnao rape survivor a "murder".
In a statement, the AIDWA listed the circumstances in which the Raebareli accident occurred that left the rape survivor and her lawyer seriously injured and two family members dead.
"It is deeply disturbing that the BJP-RSS combine is flagrantly using their power to even go to the extent of committing murder to silence their opponents. Two aunts of the girl died," the statement said, adding that the AIDWA team visited them at the hospital.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe into a road accident in which the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer were critically injured and her two aunts killed, an official said.
"We have constituted a SIT headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Raebareli Shahi Shekhar to probe into the mishap in Raebareli on Sunday," IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar told reporters in Lucknow.
Circle officers Gopinath Soni, Lakshmikant Gautam and R P Shahi will also be members of the team, he said.
At directions of All India Congress Committee, all the district headquarters will observe a one-day fast between 11 am and 5 pm on Wednesday, demanding that MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused in Unnao rape case, be expelled from BJP, among other demands.
The AICC also demands that arrangements be made for the best treatment of the lawyer of the Unnao rape survivor, her family be given immediate financial assistance and her uncle be released on one-month parole from jail so that he can look after the family.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Tuesday met the Unnao rape victim at King George's Medical University Trauma Centre at Lucknow where she is being treated.
"Our first priority is to ensure the victim gets complete medical facilities. Secondly, the parole application of Mahesh Singh, uncle of the rape victim. We will obey the Court's decision in this regard," said Sharma while talking to the media.
"The state government is bearing all the treatment expenses. The FIR has also been registered. The investigation is also underway. The CBI is also investigating the matter," he added.
"The people of India are feeling ashamed today due to Unnao incident... it is a blot on civilised society, where a minor girl was gang-raped... We demand that the Home Minister comes to the House and gives a statement. What kind of a society are we talking about, where such an incident can happen?" Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded in the Lok Sabha.
Opposition parties Congress, BSP and SP on Tuesday, accused the ruling BJP of "extending patronage" to Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
In a tweet, BSP President Mayawati said, "The meeting of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj with the rape-accused BJP MLA in jail proved that the raped accused are continuously getting the patronage of the ruling BJP... the Supreme Court needs to take cognisance of it."
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, who met the rape survivor's family members at the hospital, holds the government fully responsible for the accident.
"Can the state government not ensure justice to this beti? What is the fault of the family members? If something happens to the two injured who will be responsible for it?" asked Yadav.
Former Uttar Pradesh governor and senior BJP leader Ram Naik on Tuesday said it would be "unfair" to judge the state on the basis of one case.
"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already agreed to a CBI inquiry into the case. The truth in the Unnao case will come out soon. It would be unfair to form an opinion about the entire state based on a single case," Naik said.
He claimed that organised crimes in Uttar Pradesh have reduced in the last five years, and will be reined in further in the coming days.
The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted one-day parole to survivor's uncle Mahesh Singh to attend the last rites of his wife who was killed in the collision.
The court directed senior registrar of the high court to communicate the copy of the order to jail and district authorities immediately for compliance, PTI reported.
Justice Mohammad F A Khan directed officials to bring Singh back to the jail by the evening after the cremation.
UP BJP Chief Swatantra Dev Singh on Tuesday said that BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar was suspended from the party and will remain suspended.
“He was suspended from the party and will stay suspended. CBI inquiry in the case is underway,” he told ANI.
BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi also claimed that Sengar was suspended after an inquiry by the disciplinary committee last year. However, no official press release was issued back then.
UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma met the Unnao rape survivor on Tuesday in the Lucknow hospital. He also confirmed that her uncle, who is currently lodged in Raebareli jail, will be released on court’s order to perform last rites of survivor’s aunt who died in the car-truck collision.
The family of the survivor had refused to perform the last rites of her aunt without her uncle’s presence.
In a letter dated 12 July 2019, Unnao rape survivor wrote to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi urging action to be taken against those who are making threats.
The letter stated, “people came to my house and threatened to take back cases, otherwise the whole family will be put in jail in fake cases,” ANI reported.
A team from National Commission for Women met Unnao rape survivor’s mother in Lucknow on Tuesday. They will also meet the DGP during the visit.
“Our team reached Lucknow to meet Unnao rape victim, her family, DGP, IO and SSP. The team met mother of the victim but couldn't meet the victim as the doctor advised against it. Team to meet UP DGP today,” NCW said.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a tweet, questioned Kuldeep Sengar’s political affiliation and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “divest” Sengar and his brother of the “political power”.
On Tuesday, Lok Sabha witnessed an uproar over the Unnao case where Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called it a “blot on civilised society”.
“People of India are feeling ashamed today due to the Unnao incident, it's a blot on civilised society, where a minor girl was gang raped.”
He further added “we demand that Home Minister comes to the House and gives a statement. What kind of a society are we talking about, where such an incident happened.
BJP’s Pralhad Joshi replied saying “it should not be politicised, CBI inquiry is already underway and an FIR has been registered. The government is investigating with impartiality.”
Suraj Pal, the father of truck driver Ashish Kumar in the Unnao case, told ANI that he had never heard Kuldeep Sengar’s name before the incident happened.
Unnao rape survivor’s family refused to perform the last rites of one of her aunts who died in the car-truck collision.
They demand the release of the survivor's uncle Mahesh Singh, who is lodged in a Raebareli district jail, on parole for the last rites.
The family of the Unnao rape survivor staged a protest outside Lucknow’s King George's Medical University trauma center where she is being treated.
They demand her uncle Mahesh Singh’s release from the jail and BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar to be punished as soon as possible.
“Kuldeep Sengar should be punished as soon as possible and Mahesh Singh should be released from jail,” ANI reported quoting the family.
The Uttar Pradesh government sent a formal request to the government of India to transfer the case of Unnao rape survivor’s road accident to CBI.
Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said in a statement that a formal request for it has been sent to Government of India.
"The government has decided to refer the investigation of case crime number 305/2019 u/s 302/307/506/120 B IPC PS Gurbuxganj Distt Raebareli to the CBI. A formal request has been sent to Government of India in this regard," news agency PTI quoted Kumar as saying.
Scores of people gathered at Delhi’s India Gate in the evening on Monday, 29 July, demanding justice for the Unnao rape survivor who was seriously injured in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh.
Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav joined the citizens, who had turned on their mobile phone flashlights in solidarity with the 19-year-old woman and held posters that read "tum akeli nahi ho" (you are not alone).
Mahesh Singh, the Unnao rape survivor's uncle who filed the complaint on which the case was registered against MLA Kuldeep Sengar and others on Monday, said in his complaint, “I am sure that the car was hit for killing all of them by the BJP MLA and his men.”
He also alleged that the BJP MLA used to call his family members from his associates' phones and put pressure on them to change their statements in court if they wanted to stay alive.
The FIR filed against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, along with others, in connection with the Unnao rape survivor's accident mentions that the security detail of the girl informed the MLA and his associates about her movements, media reports pointed out.
Notably, the security personnel provided to the survivor were not with her at the time of the accident.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter to slam the BJP, as she questioned why the party hasn’t sacked rape accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Giving an update on the condition of the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer, Sandeep Tiwari, media-in-charge at the King George's Medical University hospital in Lucknow, said they are both on the ventilator and in critical but stable condition.
"The girl has a fracture on her leg and a head injury," he said.
The Congress on Monday demanded that the Supreme Court takes note of the accident involving the Unnao rape survivor and intervenes in the rape case.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari alleged that the voice of the survivor was being suppressed.
An FIR has been filed against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother Manoj Singh Sengar and eight other named accused, along with 15-20 unidentified people in connection with the Unnao rape case survivor’s accident in Raebareli.
The FIR was filed under IPC sections 302 (punishment for murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (punishment for criminal intidimation) and 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy).
It was filed on the complaint of the rape survivor’s uncle at Gurubaksh Ganj police station in the Raebareli district.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)