Unnao rape case: SC defers order on shifting survivor to AIIMS in Delhi till Monday; family says her health condition still critical

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the order on the airlifting of Unnao rape survivor , who was severely injured in a road accident in Rae Bareli on 28 July, to AIIMS in Delhi till Monday after it was informed that her condition still remained critical. The survivor and her lawyer, who are undergoing treatment in King George Medical College in Lucknow, were travelling with her family when a truck hit their car in Rae Bareli district on Sunday. Two of her relatives were killed, while the girl and the lawyer suffered critical injuries. The family has alleged there was a conspiracy behind the incident. [caption id=“attachment_6075511” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Supreme Court of India. PTI[/caption] “So far as the movement of victim and lawyer for medical treatment is concerned there appears to be hesitation on the part of the family members, so we shall defer giving orders to Monday,” the top court said. The apex court took note of a statement made by senior advocate V Giri that said the rape survivor is unconscious and on ventilator, and her family has expressed that she be treated at the Lucknow hospital for the time being. Giri is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi accepted the suggestion and said the rape survivor’s family is at liberty to take a call on shifting her to AIIMS in Delhi from Lucknow. The bench also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, was informed that the lawyer, who was injured along with the rape survivor in the accident, was taken off ventilator, but his condition is still critical. His father was indecisive on him being shifted to Delhi, the Supreme Court was informed. The bench gave liberty to the family of the survivor and the lawyer, saying they can approach the Supreme Court’s secretary general if at any point they would like to shift them to AIIMS in Delhi. The top court also ordered shifting of the rape survivor’s uncle from Rae Bareli jail to Tihar and listed the matter for further hearing on Monday. All media houses were given direction to refrain from revealing the identity of the survivor “directly, indirectly, or in any manner”. During the brief hearing, the Uttar Pradesh government informed the bench that the interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh has already been released to victim’s family. On Thursday, the apex court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakhs to the survivor. It also ordered that a sum of 20 lakhs be paid to the lawyer of the Unnao rape case survivor. During the judgment, the top court also ordered the transfer of all cases from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi. Acting in compliance with a Supreme Court order, the state government Thursday handed over a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to the Unnao rape survivor’s family. “A cheque for Rs 25 lakh was handed over to the family members of the Unnao rape survivor by district magistrate of Lucknow Kaushal Raj Sharma and SSP Lucknow Kalanidhi Naithani,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in a statement in Lucknow. With inputs from PTI