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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Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
