The Supreme Court on Wednesday took judicial notice of the Unnao rape case and listed it for hearing on Thursday, along with a report from the court’s Secretary General. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi expressed displeasure that a letter written by the survivor’s family on July 12 had not been placed before him by the court’s registry.

What the CJI said

Justice Gogoi said media reports had made it appear as though he had been sitting on the letter. “I had not even seen such a letter until yesterday when I asked the Secretary General,” he said. He also remarked that the court’s efforts to do something constructive in a volatile atmosphere were not being conveyed correctly, adding that “the messaging isn’t right”.

The CJI said the matter would be heard on the judicial side and that the registrar’s report on why the letter reached him late would also be examined. He directed the Secretary General to submit his report in line with an administrative order issued the previous day, and called the delay unfortunate.

How the matter came up

The issue was raised by senior advocate V Giri, who is amicus curiae in a case the court began on its own to devise a way of speeding up trials in child rape cases. Giri said he had received information from NGOs and that, as the Unnao case also involved provisions of the POCSO Act, the Supreme Court should step in.

The family’s letter and pending petitions

In the July 12 letter, the survivor’s mother and sisters said the accused were intimidating them and had threatened to implicate them in false cases. Citing fears for their safety, they asked the CJI to order an FIR into the intimidation and to seek a report from the police officers concerned.

A transfer petition filed by the survivor’s mother is already pending before the court. It mainly asks for the trial to be moved to Delhi, arguing that the accused wield considerable influence in Uttar Pradesh. Notices were issued to the CBI and the accused, including Kuldeep Singh Sengar, on April 16, but the court had not taken the matter up again since.

See also: Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha members.

Originally published on 31 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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