Arrested on rape charges, Chinmayanand sent to 14 day judicial custody
New Delhi, Sep 20: Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Chinmayanand, who is accused of raping a law student, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur on Friday. Meanwhile, a local court sent the BJP leader to 14 day judicial custody.
The arrest came following intense grilling of the BJP leader by SIT on Saturday last week.
Earlier on Thursday, Swami Chinmayanand was summoned records relating to the appointment of the complainant woman's mother at a college run by Mumukshu Ashram of the BJP leader.
The student's mother was appointed a teacher at the college in May this year.
The principal of the college handed over the records to the SIT, sources said.
The SIT is currently questioning people in connection with the case and will submit its report to the Allahabad High Court on September 23.
Meanwhile, there was no change in the condition of 72-year-old Chinmayanand, who was admitted to a state-run hospital after he complained of uneasiness on Wednesday.
He
underwent
several
tests.
A
team
of
four
doctors
is
continuously
keeping
an
eye
on
him,
PRO
of
the
medical
college
Dr
Puja
Pandey
told
PTI.
Swami
Chinmayanand
is
being
treated
for
BPH
diabetes
and
upset
stomach,
she
added.
Police
are
yet
to
register
a
rape
case
against
the
septuagenarian
leader
despite
the
woman
recording
her
statement
before
a
magistrate
on
Monday.
She
had
threatened
to
set
herself
on
fire
if
the
BJP
leader
was
not
arrested
immediately.
She also asked if the government was waiting for her to die even after her statement was recorded before the magistrate.
"Even two days after I recorded my statement before a magistrate, Chinmayanand has not been arrested. If the government is waiting for me to die, I will sprinkle kerosene on my body and immolate myself," the student had told reporters.
IG Naveen Arora, who heads the team, had stated that no arrest had been made so far.
He said the mobile phone of the witness and the pen drive given by the student had been sent for a forensic examination.
Police had earlier registered a case of criminal intimidation and abduction on a complaint lodged by the woman's father.
Later, the student, who studied at a college run by an organization led by the BJP leader, also accused him of rape, and "physical exploitation" over a year.
On Monday, the SIT had taken the woman to court for recording her statement before Judicial Magistrate Geetika Singh.
The SIT had also examined the principals of the two colleges where the girl studied.
The student had on Saturday has given a pen drive containing 43 videos to the SIT to support her allegations after the sleuths asked her to submit whatever evidence she had against the former Union minister.
(with PTI inputs)