Unnao Rape: Supreme Court orders transfer of trial to Delhi, day-to-day trial to be completed in 45 days

The Supreme Court today transferred the trial in four cases relating to the Unnao rape case to Delhi and ordered that the same be held on a day-to-day basis and completed within 45 days..The cases have been transferred from CBI Court, Lucknow to the competent court in Delhi i.e. Court of Dharmesh Sharma, District Judge, West, Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi..A Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose also ordered the payment of Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to the victim..Further, the case in relation to the accident of the victim and her family, when a lorry rammed into their car, has also been transferred to Delhi. The Court directed that the probe into the said accident case has to be completed within seven days..Regarding shifting of the victim and her lawyer to a hospital in Delhi, the Court was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that there are no medical impediments to the same. The doctors at King George’s Medical University, Lucknow where she is being currently treated certified that she is fit for being airlifted out of Lucknow for more advanced medical treatment..The Court, therefore, directed counsel appearing for the victim’s family to take the opinion of the family members before taking a call on the same..A similar order was passed with respect to the lawyer of the victim who was also injured in the accident and is currently being treated at the hospital in Lucknow..The Court also ordered that CRPF security be provided to the victim, her family, the injured lawyer and his family..Regarding the inaction on the part of the Supreme Court Registry in not taking prompt action on the letter of the victim, the Court ordered the Secretary-General of the Supreme Court to conduct an inquiry and find out whether there were any lapses or negligence on the part of any member of the Registry in processing the letter petition in question and placing the same before the Chief Justice on the administrative side. This inquiry will be supervised by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the CJI..Also read:Unnao Rape Case: Live Updates from today’s Supreme Court hearing.The Unnao rape case took a controversial turn after a lorry without a number plate rammed into the car in which the victim was travelling. The victim and her lawyer have been critically injured, while two of her aunts passed away..Foul play on the part of BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar – the accused in the rape case – has been alleged by the mother of the victim..Sengar has been in prison since last year. The Allahabad High Court had, in April last year, ordered the arrest of Sengar for raping a 15-year-old girl in 2017. The Court had also directed that the investigation of the case be handed over to the CBI..Interestingly, the Supreme Court today also ordered the Secretary General to hold an inquiry into the delay in placing the letter written by the victim before the CJI. The probe will be supervised by a sitting judge nominated by CJI. The Secretary General has to submit his report within seven days..The Unnao rape victim had written to CJI Gogoi seeking security for herself and her family earlier this month. The letter written in Hindi alleges that the victim and her family were being threatened constantly by the followers of Kuldip Singh Sengar..However, the letter dated July 12 did not reach the Chief Justice until much later, prompting CJI Gogoi to question the Secretary General over the delay..[Read Order]