The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Central Bureau of Investigation two more weeks to complete its inquiry into the car crash involving a woman who had accused Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape in 2017, The Hindu reported. This is the second extension given to the agency.
The top court also allowed the Delhi High Court to decide on a plea made by the trial court judge in five related cases to conduct part of the proceedings at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national Capital. The teenager is being treated at the hospital after the July 28 crash. Later in the day, the Delhi High Court allowed the judge to record her statement at the hospital.
The court said there was no pressure on trial court judge Dharmesh Sharma to complete the trial in 45 days, and allowed him to seek an extension if he needs one.
On July 28, a truck collided with the car in which the 19-year-old was travelling in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district. Two of her aunts, one of whom was a key witness in the rape case, were killed. The woman and the lawyer were critically injured, and were airlifted to AIIMS. They have reportedly shown considerable progress.
On August 1, the Supreme Court had transferred five cases related to the rape complainant to a competent court in Delhi. The court had given the CBI two weeks to finish its inquiry into the car crash, and gave the agency two more weeks on August 19.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had ordered that the trial in the cases be held on daily basis and to complete proceedings within 45 days.
Sengar is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and is in jail for the alleged rape since April 2018 but he was expelled from the BJP only on August 1.
Apart from the car crash, the trial court is also looking into the rape case, a false Arms Act case filed against the woman’s father, his death in police custody, and a gangrape.
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