New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday set a 45-day deadline for trial in the five cases related to the Unnao rape survivor even as it directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the probe in the woman’s accident case within a week. The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to provide Rs 25 lakh to the rape survivor as interim compensation.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose made it clear that the agency can only seek an extension of an additional seven days for probe in the accident case and that too in exceptional circumstances.
The bench directed that the trial in the main case relating to the rape will have to be completed within 45 days from its commencement.
The court said the name of the presiding judge for the trial of the cases will be decided after an in-chamber consultation. The court added that it was passing an ex-parte order without the representation of the accused persons to ensure an expeditious investigation and trial keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case.
The bench said it will not entertain any plea seeking to vacate or alter the order passed today.
The court directed that the survivor, her mother, and other family members will be provided security by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and an officer of the level of commandant will file a compliance report forthwith.
The court also took note of the oral instructions received by the CBI from the doctors at Lucknow's King George Medical College Hospital that both the survivor and her lawyer are in a condition to be airlifted to AIIMS in New Delhi. It will, however, pass the order in this regard after receiving instructions from their family members.
The court will hear the case again on Friday during which it will also hear a plea moved on behalf of the survivor's uncle, who has been lodged in a jail in Raebareli, to be shifted to a jail in the capital. His wife was also in the car involved in the accident and had died in a mishap in Raebareli district. Her mortal remains were brought to the village in Subeha area from Lucknow amid tight security. The last rites were performed by her son in the presence of her two daughters.
A speeding truck had on Sunday hit the car in which the rape victim was travelling, killing her two aunts and leaving her and a lawyer critically injured.
He participated in her cremation on Wednesday after the Allahabad High Court granted him parole for a day.
The CBI, which has taken over the investigation into the road accident, has booked 10 people for murder, including BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was expelled today by the BJP and is already in jail, charged with the rape of the Unnao woman when she was a minor in 2017.
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