The Supreme Court said four cases linked to the Unnao rape survivor would be transferred to Delhi.
In a huge embarrassment for the Yogi Adityanath Government, the Supreme Court today transferred all the five cases involving the Unnao rape survivor out of Uttar Pradesh to Delhi. The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the rape survivor by tomorrow. A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, also said the CBI probe into the car crash must be completed in seven days and the rape case in 45 days.
The teenager is battling for her life after a car crash on Sunday. The top court also said the CBI's probe into the car crash must be completed in seven days.
Earlier today, the top court had asked the "responsible" officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to appear before it and give details on the status of rape case and the car crash.The CBI is investigating both the cases.
A letter by the teen rape survivor and her family to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi - sent on July 12 - alleging grave danger to them was taken up by the Supreme Court, four days after the girl was critically injured and two of her aunts died in the crash that her family alleges was planned by the man she has accused of rape, jailed lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who now has been expelled by the party.
Sengar is accused by the teen of sexually assaulting her when she went to his Unnao home for a job in 2017. He was arrested in April last year, days after the girl threatened to set herself ablaze in front of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home in Lucknow if the police didn't file her complaint.
Here are the highlights on Supreme Court hearing on Unnao rape case:
According to the latest medical bulletin, the rape survivor and her lawyer are still in a critical condition.
The condition of the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer is stable, doctors at a hospital in Lucknow said today, news agency PTI reported.
BJP Expels Kuldeep Sengar, Accused Of Raping Teen, Threatening Family
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a jailed four-time lawmaker accused of raping the Unnao teen survivor, threatening her family and attempt to murder, has been expelled by the BJP amid waves of public outrage.
The BJP's move, described by critics as a year in coming, comes days after the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer were critically wounded and two of her relatives were killed in a car crash on Sunday involving a speeding truck that had its number plate painted black. The girl is still critical and on the ventilator, a hospital said today in its latest update.
"Grateful to the SC for taking cognisance of the 'Jungle Raj' being unleashed in UP. Meanwhile, 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," Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.
Unnao Case in SC: Top court transfers all 5 cases out of UP to Delhi
The Supreme Court has shifted trial of all the five cases out of UP. The five case related to Unnao rape include Rape and kidnapping, Gangrape, Murder in custody of survivor father, Arms Act slapped on survivor father, and the car crash involving rape survivor.
Unnao Rape Case: Kuldeep Sengar had allegedly raped the teenage girl at his residence in 2017
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a legislator from Bangermau in Unnao district, had allegedly raped the teenage girl at his residence in Unnao on June 4, 2017, where she had gone to seek a job.
He was arrested by the CBI last year and is lodged in Sitapur district jail. Another case was filed against him after the rape survivor met with an accident recently.
The top court has ordered the CBI to complete its probe into the accident of the rape survivor in seven days.
The BJP's decision is seen as belated after a year-long saga of police callousness, administrative neglect and bullying by a powerful rape-accused politician. The ruling party has faced intense criticism for not taking any action against the lawmaker for over a year.
BJP expels jailed lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar from party.
The Chief Justice said he had been informed about the family's letter on Tuesday. "This morning I read in the papers that the Unnao victim had written to the Supreme Court. I was informed about the letter yesterday. I have not yet seen the letter. It is yet to be placed before me."
Chief Justice Gogoi also said "unfortunately, the letter is yet to see the light of the day and newspapers flashed the news as if I have read it...We try to do something constructive in the midst of this highly destructive volatile environment and this happens."
One year after chargesheet, trial yet to begin
It has emerged that the family's request for transferring the case out of Uttar Pradesh is pending with the Supreme Court. The girl and her family had written to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi about threats from the BJP lawmaker, Kuldeep Sengar, and men sent by him. They had alleged intense pressure to withdraw the case. The Chief Justice has directed the top court registry to submit details of the letter.
The letter is seen to add to growing evidence of delay in investigations into the case in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, which has earlier faced allegations of going soft on four-time party lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar.
The teen rape survivor's family has alleged a conspiracy behind the attack. The security detail that the girl was meant to have, was not accompanying her.
Accident took place when rape survivor was going to meet her jailed uncle
The accident took place around 1 pm as the family, which lives in Unnao -- about 45 km from state capital Lucknow -- was on its way to the district jail in Rae Bareli to meet her uncle. He is serving a life term in a separate case. It was raining heavily at the time. The truck that hit the vehicle had its number plate scrubbed with black paint. Its driver and owner have been arrested.
On Sunday, the teen rape survivor, her two aunts and her lawyer were travelling from Unnao to Raebareli when a truck with its number plate wiped rammed their car.