SC refuses to seek status report on 20 cases against Unnao rape survivor, family members
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct the Uttar Pradesh government to file a report regarding the status of 20 cases registered against the Unnao rape survivor and her family members.
A bench comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and B R Gavai said that they don't want to widen the scope and interfere in other cases lodged against them in the state.
The apex court was told by an advocate appearing in the case that proceedings in the four cases, which were transferred to Delhi, are going on in a day-to-day basis before a special court here.
The bench said it would hear the Unnao case again on August 19.
The apex court had transferred four criminal cases from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi -- the 2017 rape case; a fake matter under the Arms Act against the father of the rape survivor; his death in police custody, and the gang rape of the woman -- and directed to hold trial on a daily basis completing it within 45-days.
The daily trial of the case is ongoing in the court of District Judge Dharmesh Sharma at the Tis Hazari district court here.
The woman, allegedly raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor, is battling for life after a truck rammed into the car she was travelling in with some family members and her lawyer. Two of her aunts died in the accident.
Along with charges of rape, the district court has also framed Sengar and others for allegedly framing the survivor's father in an Arms Act case, assaulting him and murdering him in judicial custody.
The rape survivor is being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after the top court's order to airlift her to Delhi for better medical care.
The court had also shifted Mahesh Singh, uncle of the rape survivor to the Tihar jail in Delhi from a jail in Uttar Pradesh to ensure his safety.
Singh has been convicted in a 19-year-old case and sentenced to 10-year jail term on a case filed by Sengar's brother, Atul Singh.
Sengar, a four-time legislator who represents Bangermau in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, is the main accused in the rape case and is lodged in jail since April, 2018.
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Search operation ends in Anjaw truck accident, 20 bodies recovered
Itanagar (PTI): The multi-agency search and rescue operation in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, where a mini-truck on which 21 people from Assam were travelling plunged into a deep gorge, has been officially called off by the district administration on Monday.
Till Sunday, 20 bodies were recovered and one survivor rescued following four days of intensive efforts by disaster response teams, Anjaw Deputy Commissioner Millo Kojin said.
The DC in an official order said that the search and rescue operation, which began on December 11, was formally concluded at 10 am on Monday after exhaustive combing of the accident site near Lailiang, about 40 km from Hayuliang sub-division.
Though earlier it was estimated that 22 labourers were in the ill-fated vehicle, but a communication from the senior superintendent of police of Assam's Tinsukia district on Sunday confirmed that there were only 21 people in the mini truck, including the driver, the DC said.
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The accident occurred on the night of December 8 along the Hayuliang–Chaglagam road when a mini truck carrying 21 labourers from Tinsukia district of Assam fell into a deep gorge. The incident came to light only on the evening of December 10 after one injured survivor managed to reach a nearby Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) labour camp and alerted authorities.
Following the report, a large-scale rescue operation was mounted involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, BRTF, local police and the district administration.
Despite extremely challenging terrain and weather conditions, rescue teams successfully retrieved 20 bodies from the gorge, while one labourer survived the mishap.
In a separate order, the district administration confirmed that the NDRF team completed its assigned task and has been released from duty with immediate effect, after all mortal remains were handed over to the district administration and subsequently to the relatives of the deceased following completion of legal formalities.
The deputy commissioner, who is also chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), placed on record appreciation for the professionalism, dedication and coordinated response of all agencies involved in the operation, carried out under extremely difficult conditions.
The district administration also expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families of the victims.
