Former union minister Swami Chinmayanan was booked in a rape case at the City Kotwali police station in November 2011 by a woman who had spent 11 years at his ashram.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court of Shahjahanpur on Thursday rejected a government plea to withdraw rape case against former union minister Swami Chinmayanand. The court also issued bailable warrant to produce him before it and fixed July 12 as next date for hearing.
Senior Prosecuting Officer (Shahjahanpur) Ram Lagan Yadav confirmed that CJM Shikha Pradhan rejected the application on protest application filed by the victim stating the case is of serious nature and requesting not to entertain the government’s plea. On Thursday, the court also issued bailable warrant against Chinmayanand, added Yadav.
Chinmayanand was booked in a rape case at the City Kotwali police station in November 2011 by a woman who had spent 11 years at his ashram. Police filed chargesheet in the case under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
On Chinmayanand’s petition, the Allahabad High Court had stayed proceeding of the case. However, in February this year, the proceeding was vacated after Chinmayanand withdrew his petition. The trial of the case is yet to start.
In March this year, UP government moved an application seeking permission to withdraw the case. The victim later sent letters to the President, Chief Justice of India, Uttar Pradesh Governor seeking intervention into the Uttar Pradesh government proceeding to withdraw the case.
She also filed an application in the court seeking direction to issue arrest warrant against Chinmayanand as he had not obtained bail from the court so far.
Chinmayanand had won three parliamentary elections on a BJP ticket. In 1991, he won from Badaun, in 1998 from Machhlishahr and 1999 from Jaunpur. He had also served union minister of state for home affairs in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.