Shahjahanpur: Former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand, accused of rape by a law student, was arrested Friday, his counsel Pooja Singh informed.
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. He was taken for medical examination to a government hospital. He was then taken to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate where he will be presented.
Pooja 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 post-graduate 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 Wednesday, was referred to King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow. But he chose to return to his residence Thursday and get ayurvedic treatment there, according to another of his counsel Om Singh.
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 Swami Chinmayanand on a complaint lodged by the woman’s father.
The SIT has also interrogated the principals of the two colleges where the student studied in recent years.
PTI