English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Unnao case: CJI Gogoi to take up rape victim’s letter tomorrow; Supreme Court registry under lens again

Published

6 years ago

on

Supreme Court

By Rajesh Sinha

The role of Supreme Court registry is under a lens again for failing to put up to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi a letter from Unnao rape victim apprehending threat to her life.

Learning of the letter from reports, CJI Gogoi, taking suo motu cognisance, said he will hear the matter tomorrow, Thursday, Aug 1. The CJI assured that a judicial order would be passed to ensure the safety and better conditions for the rape survivor, said media reports. 

Calling it a “highly volatile situation”, CJI Gogoi said he was informed about the letter only on Tuesday (July 30). The CJI asked why the court registry had not brought the letter to his attention.

 “The letter has not been placed before me and newspapers flashed that CJI did not act,” Justice Gogoi said.

The letter written on July 12 came to light almost two days after a truck collided with their car on July 28. The collision, which happened near Rae Bareli, claimed the lives of two of the aunts of the victim. One of them was a key witness in the rape case in which the prime accused is a four-time BJP MLA from UP’s Bangermau, Kuldeep Singh Sengar. He was arrested last year in April.

In the letter, the rape survivor’s family complained that they were facing threats and intimidation from henchmen engaged by the accused and pleaded for providing adequate security. The letter stated that it was annexing a video-recording of the criminal intimidation and the photographs of the aggressors.

On Sunday, July 28, a truck rammed into the car in which the rape survivor was travelling near Rae Bareilly, killing her two aunts and leaving her and her lawyer critically injured.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi is understood to have sought a report from the Supreme Court registry regarding the delay in forwarding the letter sent by family of Unnao rape survivor seeking protection from threat. 

This is not the first instance of the questions arising about Supreme Court registry’s role. Several other instances were reported this year itself.

Delay in issuing notice on petition by rape survivor’s mother

A report in The Telegraph said that the SC registry had also delayed issuing notice to Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the petition filed by the rape survivor’s mother seeking transfer of trial of the case from Unnao to Delhi citing intimidation from the accused.

The bench of Justices SA Bobde and Abdul Nazeer had issued notices to the CBI and 14 respondents, including the BJP MLA on April 16. In the normal course, the matter ought to have been listed after four or six weeks. But in this case, it had not come up for hearing till date, The Telegraph reported.

The Supreme Court registry staff had not sent copies of the notice issued by the bench in April until June 28, the Telegraph report suggested.

Ideally, the copies should have reached all the respondents by registered post within a week or 10 days.

A report in The Hindustan Times said the notices were sent by the Supreme Court registry only on June 26, over two months after the court order. The report said that according to the mother’s lawyer, RK Reddy, the matter has not been listed since then.

According to an office report of the Supreme Court registry prepared on July 26, four suspects are yet to receive the court notice as the addresses given in the petition are “insufficient,” the HT reported,

None of the respondents, including the CBI, has so far filed any response to the plea to transfer the case, said The Telegraph. Notices could not be served by the registry on two of the accused apparently because their addresses could not be tracked by the postal department.

In the transfer petition, the mother had detailed how her husband died in custody and the relentless threats the family was facing to pressure them to withdraw the allegations against the BJP legislator.

SC decides to depute CBI, police officers to keep tab on wrongdoings in registry

Earlier this month, on July 8, CJI Gogoi, in his administrative capacity as head of the judiciary, taking note of allegations of listing of cases out of turn before various benches of the apex court, decided to appoint senior superintendents of police and superintendents of police from the CBI and Delhi Police to keep a tab on suspect listing of cases and other activities of employees and lawyers.

Also Read: Unnao rape: Murder case against BJP MLA Sengar and others after rape victim’s car crash

Recently, two members of the court staff were dismissed by the chief justice on the allegation of changing an order in a case related to an industrialist.

The apex court has also appointed a one-man enquiry panel after lawyer Utsav Bains made a sensational allegation that middlemen were active in getting cases listed as per their own wishes. The panel is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Patnaik.

However, just a week after this, another instance cropped up on July 15 and the CJI came down heavily on the Registrar (Listing) over the deletion of a matter against specific directions.

In the morning, an Advocate pointed out that her matter which had been listed for Tuesday after being ‘mentioned’ on Friday happens to have been omitted from the causelist.

Dates for hearing Rafale deal review plea and contempt case against Rahul Gandhi

In May, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had deferred a plea seeking review of its December 2018 judgment in the Rafale deal case to May 10 – because the Supreme Court registry had not tagged it along with the hearing on the contempt case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi, as specifically ordered by the court. 

Also Read: Unnao case: CBI books BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar, 10 others for attempt to murder

The Supreme Court registry had on its own listed it for a separate hearing instead.

On April 30, CJI Gogoi-led bench had dictated its order in open court that the two cases be listed for hearing on Monday, May 6. But in the copy of the order uploaded on the website of the Supreme Court, the two cases were to be listed separately: review petition on May 6 and contempt case on May 10, a day before the court recesses for summer vacation.

Tampering with order to exempt Anil Ambani from personal appearance in Ericsson contempt plea

On January 7, the apex court had turned down a request from industrialist Anil Ambani lawyers seeking exemption from his personal appearance in a contempt plea moved by Ericsson India against him. 

Justice Nariman’s order was: “…personal appearance of the alleged contemnor(s) not dispensed with”.

However, when the order was uploaded on the website it read: “personal appearance of the alleged contemnor(s) dispensed with”.

This had been brought to the Court’s notice by Ericsson counsel and a corrected order was uploaded on the website on January 10.

After a preliminary inquiry, it was found that the omission of the word “not” in the order was not accidental. The two employees found responsible were sacked in an order passed by the CJI.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

RBI cuts repo rate to 5.25%, paving the way for cheaper loans

The RBI has cut the repo rate to 5.25%, aiming to support growth as inflation softens. The central bank also raised GDP projections and announced liquidity-boosting measures.

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 5, 2025

By

Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the key repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25% on Thursday, signalling relief for borrowers as banks are expected to offer lower EMIs on home and vehicle loans. Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced the move after the conclusion of the three-day Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.

RBI prioritises growth as inflation eases

Malhotra said the decision was unanimous, with the central bank choosing to focus on supporting economic momentum despite concerns over a weak rupee. The repo rate was earlier cut in June from 6% to 5.5% amid easing inflation trends.

The RBI now projects Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation at 2% for FY2025-26, significantly softer than earlier estimates. For the first quarter of FY2026-27, inflation is expected at 3.9%, lower than the previous projection. The governor noted that rising precious metal prices may contribute to the headline CPI, but overall risks to inflation remain balanced.

GDP outlook strengthened

In a strong upward revision, the central bank increased the GDP forecast for the current financial year to 7.3%, previously estimated at 6.8%. Growth for the October–December quarter has also been revised to 6.7%.

The last quarter registered a six-quarter high expansion of 8.2%, reflecting resilient demand and steady credit flow.

“The growth-inflation balance continues to offer policy space,” Malhotra said, reiterating that the RBI’s stance remains neutral.

Other key decisions

Alongside the repo rate cut, the RBI announced adjustments to key policy corridors:

  • Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): 5%
  • Marginal Standing Facility (MSF): 5.5%

To improve liquidity and strengthen monetary transmission, the RBI will conduct forex swaps and purchase ₹1 lakh crore worth of government bonds through Open Market Operations (OMO).

RBI reviews a challenging year

Reflecting on 2025, Malhotra said the year delivered strong growth and moderate inflation even as global trade and geopolitical uncertainties persisted. He added that bank credit and retail lending remained healthy, providing support to the economy.

Continue Reading

India News

IndiGo flight chaos deepens as over 500 services cancelled, passengers stranded for hours

Over 500 IndiGo flights were cancelled nationwide, leaving passengers stranded without food, clarity or their luggage as airports struggled to manage the disruption.

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 5, 2025

By

IndiGo flight

India’s largest airline continued to face massive operational breakdowns, triggering frustration among travellers at major airports across the country. From piles of unattended suitcases to passengers waiting over 12 hours without food or clarity, the disruption stretched into its fourth consecutive day.

Long delays, no communication leave passengers anguished

Several travellers at Delhi airport described the situation as “mental torture”, as thousands of unclaimed suitcases lay scattered across the terminal. Many slept on the floor, while others expressed anger over the lack of communication from airline staff.

One flier said he had been waiting for over 12 hours without any explanation: “Every time they say one-hour or two-hour delays. We were going to a wedding but don’t even have our luggage.”

A passenger in Hyderabad recounted a similar ordeal, saying the flight was delayed indefinitely with no food, water, or updates from the airline. At the airport, some travellers blocked an Air India flight in protest over the lack of arrangements.

Goa and Chennai airports also witnessed tense moments. Videos from Goa showed fliers shouting at IndiGo staff as police attempted to calm the situation. At Chennai, CISF denied entry to IndiGo passengers due to heavy congestion.

Major metro airports impacted; cascading cancellations nationwide

Flight cancellations and delays were reported across multiple airports:

  • Over 200 flights were cancelled in Delhi
  • More than 100 each in Mumbai and Bengaluru
  • Around 90 in Hyderabad
  • Dozens more in Pune, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Bhopal

Pune airport stated that parking bay congestion worsened the situation, as several IndiGo aircraft remained grounded due to lack of crew. Other airlines continued operations without disruption.

Airport authorities said they had mobilised additional manpower for crowd control and passenger support.

IndiGo admits planning lapses, says more cancellations expected

The airline acknowledged a “misjudgment” in assessing crew requirements under revised night-duty norms, which it said created planning gaps. Winter weather and airport congestion further aggravated the crisis.

IndiGo informed the aviation ministry and DGCA that some regulatory changes—such as the shift in night-duty timings and a cap on night landings—have been rolled back temporarily to stabilise operations.

The airline warned that cancellations may continue for another two to three days, and from December 8, schedules will be trimmed to prevent further disruption.

In a message to employees, CEO Pieter Elbers said restoring punctuality would not be an “easy target”.

Airline issues apology amid nationwide frustration

In a late-night statement, IndiGo apologised to customers and industry partners, acknowledging the widespread inconvenience caused by the disruptions. The airline said all teams were working with authorities to bring operations back to normal.

Continue Reading

India News

Delhi to install 305 mist sprayers across 9 major pollution hotspots

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that 305 mist sprayers will be installed across nine pollution hotspots in Delhi, alongside expert-led planning and coordinated measures to reduce dust and biomass-related pollution.

Published

18 hours ago

on

December 4, 2025

By

Delhi-NCR air quality

The Delhi government has announced a large-scale deployment of mist sprayer technology to tackle rising air pollution, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta confirming that 305 mist sprayers will be installed across nine pollution hotspots in the capital.

Mist sprayers to curb dust at critical locations

During an inspection at ITO, Gupta said the mist sprayers already operational at the site are performing effectively. She noted that 35 poles at ITO have been fitted with these machines, which are helping suppress dust—a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi.

According to the Chief Minister, trials conducted in certain NDMC areas have shown promising results, reinforcing confidence in the technology.

High-level committee to guide pollution-control measures

Gupta announced the formation of a high-level expert committee that will advise the government on effective measures to reduce pollution. The panel will include senior officials from various departments as well as environmental specialists, including experts from IITs. Officials stated that the committee will receive special powers to implement pollution-mitigation strategies.

Departments directed to repair roads, add greenery

The Chief Minister said departments including PWD, DSIIDC and DDA have been instructed to fix potholes, repair and carpet roads, plant foliage along dividers and islands, and take other measures to reduce pollution sources.

She urged residents to report potholes on the government portal for quicker action.

Appeal to RWAs to prevent biomass burning

To curb winter pollution, Gupta advised Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to distribute electric heaters to security guards to discourage biomass burning, which significantly contributes to seasonal pollution spikes.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com