The CBI Friday sought 10 days more to file chargesheet in the gangrape case of a woman who was also allegedly sexually assaulted by expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao in 2017 when she was a minor.
District Judge Dharmesh Sharma, however, asked the CBI to complete its investigation in the case and file a chargesheet at the earliest possible as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The apex court had on September 6 granted two weeks time to complete its probe in the case.
During Friday's hearing, senior public prosecutor Ashok Bhartendu, appearing for the CBI, told the court that the matter was still under investigation and sought 10 days to file the chargesheet.
Counsel for the accused, advocate Sunil Pratap Singh opposed CBI's submissions and said it was becoming a never ending process as more than 16 months time has lapsed since the case was handed over to the agency.
"Be that as it may, this court cannot ask the CBI to file a chargesheet, and it is clear that as and when investigation is complete, it would be in the discretion of the CBI to file it.
"It is, however, desirable that the chargesheet be filed at the earliest possible in the letter and spirit of the directions of the Supreme Court," the court said.
The court has put up the matter for further hearing on September 30.
The counsel for the accused had earlier told the court that the probe agency was delaying the investigation, seeking more time from the court to complete its probe whenever the matter came up for hearing.
Advocate Vijay Pratap Singh, appearing for one of the accused, had said that the gangrape case was handed over to the CBI along with the other three related cases, transferred to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh by the top court's directions, at the same time in 2018.
"While chargesheet was filed in the other three cases by June 2018, the gangrape case was still pending investigation despite the Allahabad High Court's 2018 directions to complete it within two months," he had told the court.
The woman was allegedly raped by Sengar and three others -- Shubham Singh, Naresh Tiwari and Brajesh Singh Yadav-- in two different incidents in 2017, when she was a minor.
The court had earlier framed charges against Sengar and co-accused Shashi Singh in the rape case.
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