Set up SIT to probe charges of Shahjahanpur girl, SC tells UP

NEW DELHI: After talking to the LLM student, who has accused former central minister and BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand of sexual harassment, and her parents, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a special investigation team to probe the case.
A bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna directed the state chief secretary to provide protection to the parents and family members of the girl and asked Allahabad HC to monitor the probe and review the protection granted to the family.
As the state government informed the bench that a cross-FIR had been filed against the girl, the bench directed the SIT to probe both FIRs and asked the state government to find out whether the girl and her brother, who study in a law college run by the former minister, could be shifted to another institution. The girl had told the judges that she did not want to continue studies in that college. The court also directed that she would remain in Delhi for another 10 days in the accommodation arranged by SC.
“We are not expressing any opinion regarding the grievances expressed by the girl, Miss ‘A’, and apprehensions of her parents. All that we wish to point out is that the correctness of the grievances/apprehension has to be addressed as per the procedure established in law. In view of above, we direct the chief secretary of UP to constitute a special team headed by a police officer in the rank of inspector general of police to be assisted by superintendent of police and a team of police officers to enquire into the grievances expressed by Miss ‘A’ and insofar as the apprehension expressed by the parents of Miss ‘A’,” bench said.
Advocate Shobha Gupta, who along with some other lawyers had approached the SC for action in the case, urged the bench that the girl’s statement should be recorded while she was Delhi but the court turned down her plea.
“Suo motu petition is retained only for the limited purpose of ensuring that the further studies of Miss ‘A’ is not discontinued. She has stated that she does not want to continue in that institution, against which she has made allegation. It was stated before us that there is another college attached/affiliated to the same university, namely, Meerut University in Bareilly. To enable her to continue the LLM course and her brother who is pursuing his first year course in the same institution, Vikramjit Banerjee, additional solicitor general, to verify and inform the court whether they may be accommodated in the affiliated/attached university on the next date of hearing,” it said and posted the case for Friday.