Judge at AIIMS record Unnao rape survivor’s statement

New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) A special fast track court set up at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Wednesday recorded the statement of the Unnao victim, admitted in the hospital and recuperating.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the accused in the case, was brought to AIIMS from Tihar jail for the court hearing. Special Judge Dharmesh Sharma held the court inside the trauma centre, where the victim was admitted.

Special security arrangements were made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inside the hospital premises where the court for the purpose.

District judge Dharmesh Sharma on September 7, had issued direction to hold trial proceedings inside the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre. The survivor was said to be in condition to depose after surviving a fatal car accident in Rae Bareli in July.

Judge Sharma has decided to continue the day-to-day basis hearing commencing Wednesday till the time the testimony is concluded. The Special Court also stated that the proceedings would be held in-camera and no other public person would be allowed to enter the court without permission.

The court has directed the AIIMS administration to ensure that CCTV installed in the area should be switched off. The court also requested the hospital to depute an experienced nurse to remain present during the proceedings to look after the victim.

The court has also allowed only two defence associates for accused Shashi Singh and Kuldeep Singh Sengar during testimony and cross examination of the victim/survivor.

The Delhi High Court last week ordered setting up of the special court at AIIMS in order to continue trial in the Unnao rape case.

With this facilitation the victim will be able to depose before the court at AIIMS itself.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 9(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Hon'ble Chief Justice and the Judges of this Court have been pleased to order that Dharmesh Sharma...shall hold court for recording the testimony of the victim premises/building of the Trauma Centre of AIIMS, New Delhi along with Tis Hazari Court during the trial," the order read.

This came hours after the Supreme Court asked the Delhi High Court to decide on the trial court judge's request to conduct special proceedings on the Unnao rape case at AIIMS, where the 2017 rape survivor and her lawyer are admitted, for recording their statement.

A bench headed by Justice Deepak Gupta granted liberty to the Delhi High Court to decide at the earliest on the trial court judge's plea to hold a special court in the hospital to examine the victim.

The Supreme Court also granted two more weeks to the CBI to conclude the probe in the Unnao rape survivor accident case.

The bench also said that the trial court judge can approach the apex court for an extension of the period for concluding the trial as there is no bar on continuing the trial beyond 45 days.

On August one, the Supreme Court shifted the five cases connected with the Unnao rape incident to Delhi, assigned a special judge to conduct the day-to-day trial and ordered that the trial should be completed within 45 days.

The court had taken suo moto cognizance of a letter written by the victim's family alleging threats from Bharatiya Janata Party Legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar's aides.

On July 28, the car in which the rape survivor, her lawyer and two aunts were travelling was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli. Both her aunts were killed in the accident, while the rape survivor and her lawyer were critically injured.

Brought to AIIMS last month, both the rape survivor and her lawyer are on advanced life support systems and being treated by a multidisciplinary team from the critical care, orthopaedics, trauma surgery and pulmonary medicine departments.