LUCKNOW: Taking cognizance of the disappearance of a law post-graduation student four days ago from Shahjahanpur, both the National Women’s Commission (NCW) and Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission (UPWC) sought a report from the district administration on Wednesday.
The girl student, 23, went missing after releasing a video clip in which she had accused former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand of harassing and exploiting her as he is the chairman of the SS Law College where the girl was pursuing her course and the college is run by Mumukshu Ashram of the Swami.
While NCW member Shyamala S Kundar, who arrived in Bareilly on Wednesday to meet 42 aggrieved women who had approached the commission seeking help in different cases, claimed that NCW had taken suo moto cognizance of Shahjahanpur case and a team would soon be sent to meet the girl’s family.
Notably, NCW chairperson, Rekha Sharma, has tweeted on Tuesday that UP police had been instructed to take swift action for the missing girl’s safety.
On the other, Vimla Batham, the UPWC chairperson, claimed that she had sought a report from Shahjahanpur DM and SSP. “We are awaiting the report and shall ensure the safe return of the girl,” she said while talking to media persons.
However, the Shahjahanpur police were yet to arrest or summon Swami Chinmayanand after the FIR was registered against him as he was missing from his ashram.
His legal advisor Om Singh claimed that he has gone for ‘sadhana’ at a hill station and would return soon and face the police.
Earlier, missing girl's father had submitted a complaint to district police accusing Swami Chinmayanand of sexually harassing his daughter and being behind her disappearance.
On the basis of father's complaint and instructions of UP DGP OP Singh, the police had lodged an FIR against the former Union minister under sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting for murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code on Tuesday evening.
Though the charge was refuted by the lawyer of the former minister and got an FIR registered against unidentified persons under sections 387 (Extortion), 507 and 67 IT act against unidentified persons after receiving extortion message on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Shahjahanpur Police sent a team to Delhi in search of the missing girl.
Acting on a tip-off about the alleged presence of the girl, 23, in Dwarka area of the Delhi, the police team went to search for her. As per the police sources, there was information that the girl was staying at a hotel since the night of August 24 with a youth whose identity was yet to be revealed.
The girl has been missing since August 24 evening. As per the sources, the missing girl had not attended even a single class in the fresh semester which had started on August 5.
However, she had been engaged as part-time staff at college E-Library on a stipend of Rs 5000 to upload recent judgments delivered by the Supreme Court and High Court.