Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has asked the Supreme Court to explain why the letter written by the Unnao rape survivor’s mother didn’t reach him when it had come to the court.
The teen rape survivor’s family in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao had written a letter on 12 July alleging grave danger to their family by the accused.
The girl had accused BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar of raping her two years ago. On 28 July, her family met with an accident in Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck. Two relatives died and the girl is critical in the hospital now. Her lawyer, who was also in the vehicle, has been admitted in hospital with injuries.
The accident has escalated the matter that the letter will be taken up by the Supreme Court tomorrow.
“This morning I read in the papers that the Unnao victim had written to the SC. I was informed about the letter yesterday (Tuesday). I have not yet seen the letter. It is yet to be placed before me,” he said on Wednesday, reported India Today.
“We try to do something constructive in the midst of this highly destructive volatile environment and this happens.”CJI Ranjan Gogoi
The Supreme Court has sought a report from its secretary general as to why the letter was not brought to the attention of the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
The court has also asked the Uttar Pradesh authorities to file a status report by Thursday on the accident.
Two of her family members were killed in the accident while her lawyer also sustained serious injuries. The woman’s family has filed a complaint alleging "conspiracy" behind the car crash.
Senior lawyer V Giri had sought urgent listing of the case under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO), reported NDTV.
The CBI has taken over investigation in the accident case and has booked BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and 10 others under murder charges, reported Economic Times.
Sengar is accused of sexually assaulting the teen when she went to his house for a job in 2017. He was arrested in April last year.
(With inputs from PTI, India Today, Economic Times, NDTV)
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