Chinmayanand Case: Reprieve For UP Law Student As Court Admits Her Anticipatory Bail Plea

In a relief for a law student, who had levelled charges of sexual misconduct and harassment against, an Uttar Pradesh court has admitted her anticipatory bail plea. The court granted a stay on arrest of the girl, who herself has been booked for allegedly trying to extort money from the former minister.

The sessions court has summoned all records related to the case on September 26, the student's counsel Anoop Trivedi told reporters.

Meanwhile, a UP court has rejected the bail application of Swami Chinmayanand, who was arrested on Friday in connection with charges levelled by the student.

Shahjahanpur chief judicial magistrate has rejected the bail application of Chinmayanand on Monday, saying it should be moved in the sessions court, the former Union minister's counsel, Om Singh, said on Tuesday.

The court has also rejected on the same grounds the bail application of three men -- Sanjay, Sachin and Vikram -- who were arrested on extortion charges filed by the BJP leader.

A special investigation team (SIT) on Tuesday took Sachin and Vikram on remand for 95 hours for taking them to the site for recovery of a mobile phone allegedly used in making the extortion demand, sources in the probe team said.

According to the sources, the accused had told the SIT that they had thrown the mobile phone, which was used to make the alleged extortion call, near Mehandipur Balaji in Rajasthan. The two will be taken there to recover the device.

The SIT has also sent the Chinmayanand lawyer's mobile phone, on which the alleged extortion message was sent, for forensic examination, the sources said.

The postgraduate student, who studied at a college run by Chinmayanand's ashram, has alleged that she was raped and physically exploited by the 72-year-old for an over a year.

Chinmayanand, who was arrested on Friday and sent to 14 days' judicial custody, was shifted admitted on Monday to a Lucknow hospital, where he was tested for cardiac problems.

He has been booked under sections 354 D (stalking), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police had also arrested three other men for allegedly trying to extort money from the former Union minister. The student was also booked on the same charge.