Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi indicated he was inclined to transfer all cases relating to the Unnao rape survivor out of Uttar Pradesh but first wants ‘responsible’ CBI officer to brief them about its investigation.

New Delhi, August 1:

A bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday took up the SOS that the Unnao rape survivor had sent to the Chief Justice of India and ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director to ensure that a ‘responsible officer’ of the agency is in court by noon. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi told the government’s senior law officer Tushar Mehta that it wanted the officer to give them complete details of what had transpired during the agency’s investigation.

The CBI had taken over investigations into the rape of the Unnao teenager last year on orders of the Allahabad High Court that concluded the Uttar Pradesh police was dragging its feet. Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a four-time BJP MLA, was eventually arrested last year on the high court’s orders.

But the 19-year-old rape survivor and her family alleged that the lawmaker’s arrest did not stop the threats that she faced. Over the last 16 months, they wrote 36 letters of the authorities. At least one of them was to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. But the Chief Justice learnt of the letter only after a car crash with a truck killed two of the teenager’s aunts. The teenager and her lawyer who were critically injured in the accident are struggling for life.

CJI Gogoi appeared unhappy in court yesterday when he underlined that the teenager’s letter dated July 12 had not been placed before him.

As it took up the case today, the bench led by Chief Justice Gogoi indicated that it was inclined to transfer the trial of the four cases being investigated by the CBI out of Uttar Pradesh.

A ruling on the transfer could come later in the day when the Supreme Court resumes hearing the Unnao rape survivor’s plea.

The Chief Justice told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to immediately take up the matter with CBI director and ensure that a “a responsible officer from the CBI” is in court at 12. The court wants the officer to brief the judges about all the developments in the case and offered to hold the hearing in-camera if the investigator so requested.

“We will also transfer all the cases but only after interacting with a responsible officer of the CBI,” said Chief Justice Gogoi. The court has a bunch of requests by the teenager’s mother to transfer the daughter’s cases to Delhi.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times