Former Union minister Chinmayanand, accused of rape, arrested

PTI, Sep 20, 2019, 11:33 AM IST

Shahjahanpur: Former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand, accused of rape by a law student, was arrested on Friday, his counsel said.

The BJP leader was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh police from his residence ‘Divya Dham’ here amid heavy security deployment, his lawyer Pooja Singh told PTI.

He was taken for medical examination to a government hospital. He was then taken to the the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate where he will be presented.

Singh said the SIT took signatures of Chinmayanand’s relatives on the arrest memo but no arrest-related documents were given to them.

As Chinmayanand was taken for a medical check-up, patients at the government hospital had to face a tough time as they were not allowed to enter the premises.

Teams led by senior police officials have been deployed at the court premises and the hospital. A team of police officials is also patrolling the area to ensure there is no disturbance, a senior official said.

The rape survivor, who is a postgraduate student at one of the colleges run by Chinmayanand’s organisation, has alleged that she was raped and “physically exploited” for a year by the former Union minister.

The case is being investigated by the SIT set up by Uttar Pradesh police on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Chinmayanand, who was admitted to the medical college here on Wednesday, was referred to King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.

But he chose to return to his residence on Thursday and get ayurvedic treatment there, according to his counsel Om Singh.

He underwent several tests at the Shahjahanpur hospital where a team of four doctors monitored his condition, a spokesperson told PTI.

The student had earlier threatened self-immolation if the police do not arrest him.

Inspector General Naveen Arora, who heads the SIT, said a mobile phone and a pen drive given by the student have been sent for forensic examination.

The pen drive contains 43 video clips which the student says support her allegations.

Police has registered a case of criminal intimidation and abduction against Chinmayanand on a complaint lodged by the woman’s father. Later, the student also accused him of rape and “physical exploitation”.

The SIT has also examined the principals of the two colleges where the studied in recent years.