LUCKNOW: Former Union Minister and head of Mumukshu Ashram, Swami Chinmayanand was arrested on Friday morning and sent to district jail in Shahjahanpur on the charges of harassment and rape of a law student.
The student, pursuing a law course in SS Law College being run by Chinmayanand’s ashram, had levelled charges of harassment and sexual exploitation against the Swami by posting a video on Facebook on August 22.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the case arrested the Swami from his Ashram amid heavy police contingent on Friday.
The complainant had recorded her statement under Section 164 of CrPC in front of Judicial magistrate Geetika Singh on Monday.
Since then the law student had been demanding Chinamayanand’s arrest in the rape case.
She, on Wednesday, had even threatened to immolate self if the police authorities would fail to move against the Swami.
The girl’s father had submitted around 43 video clips to substantiate charges against the Swami to the SIT during his testimony.
After taking the Swami into its custody, the SIT went to the police station and then headed to state medical college in Shahjahanpur for his medical examination.
The accused Swami was examined in the Trauma Centre in the presence of SIT chief IG Naveen Arora.
It may be recalled that Chinmayanand has not been keeping well for the last couple of days and is under medical observation.
On Thursday, he was referred to KGMU by the district doctors but he refused and preferred to take rest at his residence Divya Dham on Ashram premises.
Chinmayanand has certain medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol.
Currently, he is suffering from diarrhoea. As his condition deteriorated, so he was admitted to the district hospital on Wednesday evening.
After levelling the allegation of harassment and sexual abuse on Chinmayanand, the complainant had gone missing on August 24.
She was found with one of her friends Sanjay Singh in Rajasthan by the UP police on August 29.
By then, the Supreme Court had taken the cognizance of the case and the girl was taken to the apex court for her statement.
After hearing the girl, the Supreme Court directed the UP government to set up an SIT into the case and the SIT was asked to submit its probe report to Allahabad High Court on September 23.