Chinmayanand, BJP Leader Accused of Rape by Law Student, Arrested by UP Police SIT From Shahjahanpur Ashram After Massage Videos Go Viral
The Special Investigation Team of Uttar Pradesh police on Friday arrested Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former union minister Chinmayanand, who has been accused of raping a law student.
Lucknow, September 20: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh police on Friday arrested Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former union minister Chinmayanand, who has been accused of raping a law student. The SIT took Chinmayanand into custody from his Mumukshu Ashram in Shahjahanpur. Chinmayanand was taken to a hospital for a medical check-up following his arrest. Law Student Who Accused Chinmayanand of Rape Testifies in UP Court.
The 73-year-old politician was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday, a day after the victim threatened to end her life if Chinmayanand was not arrested. He was earlier being treated by a team of doctors in his Mumukshu Ashram where he has been held under house arrest since September 13. The 23-year-old law student accused Chinmayanand of sexually harassing her repeatedly and blackmailing her.
Chinmayanand Being Taken to Hospital:
The incident came to the fore when the woman, a second-year student at a law college run by Chinmayanand, went missing a day after she posted a video on social media alleging that a "senior leader of the sant community" was sexually harassing repeatedly and threatening to kill her. The woman was found in Rajasthan on August 30 by UP police. She said that she had gone into hiding after gathering video proof to substantiate her allegations against Chinmayanand.
While the woman did not name Chinmayanand in the video, her father had filed a complaint with police accusing the BJP leader of sexually harassing her. Chinmayanand's lawyer, however, dismissed allegations and called it a "conspiracy" to blackmail his client. Chinmayanand, who runs several ashrams and institutions, was Minister of State for Home in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP government.
The BJP leader is accused of calling the law student to his room, blackmailing her with a clip of her taking a bath and raping her repeatedly. The woman also alleges she was often taken to his room by his aides at gunpoint and forced to give him massages. The video clips of Chinmayanand being given a massage have already gone viral on social media.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 20, 2019 10:28 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).