SC directs UP to file a report on Unnao case
Why letter sent by woman not brought to his notice, CJI asks court staff
NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has got cracking on its probe of the road crash that left the Unnao gang-rape survivor and her lawyer battling for life and killed two of her aunts, booking Uttar Pradesh legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother Manoj Singh, the son-in-law of a serving state minister and seven others on charge of murder and other counts.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, meanwhile, took cognizance on Wednesday of a letter written by the 19-year-old woman and her family, expressing concern over threats to their lives, and directed the Supreme Court registry to place the matter before him on Thursday. CJI Gogoi appeared unhappy with media reports highlighting how the letter dated July 12 had not drawn his attention. He said he learnt about the letter only through the media.
Justice Gogoi also asked Uttar Pradesh authorities to file a status report on the accident by Thursday.
Sengar, a four-time MLA accused of raping the 19-year-old woman in 2017, and the nine others were also charged with attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation CBI books UP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and 9 others, including his brother and son-in-law of a serving state minister, on charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and other counts
Special CBI team visits the spot of the accident in Rae Bareli
CJI Ranjan Gogoi takes cognizance of a letter written by the Unnao rape survivor and her family over threats to their lives
Justice Gogoi says he will take up the matter for hearing on Thursday CJI seeks SC secretary general’s response on the delay in taking action on the letter dated July 12 Supreme Court asks UP authorities to file a status report on accident
over Sunday’s crash in Rae Bareli in which a speeding truck rammed head-on into a car carrying the rape survivor, her lawyer and the other women. Sengar is in jail in connection with the rape case.
The CBI lodged a first information report (FIR) on Tuesday night on the basis of one registered by Uttar Pradesh Police based on a complaint by the woman’s uncle at Gurubakshganj police station in Rae Bareli.
In the FIR, CBI named the Sengar brothers and their alleged associates, identified as Vinod Mishra, Hari Pal Singh, Navin Singh, Komal Singh, Arun Singh, Gyanendra Singh, Rinku Singh and advocate Awadesh Singh. Ten to 15 other people, who weren’t identified, are also suspects.
Arun Singh is the block pramukh (chief) of Nawabganj in Unnao and son-in-law of Ranvendra Pratap Singh alias Dhunni Singh, MLA from Fathepur and an Uttar Pradesh minister with independent charge, who oversees the ministries of agriculture, and agricultural education and research in Yogi Adityanath’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government .
When HT tried to reach the minister on his phone, an aide who answered the call said he