The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed with the Uttar Pradesh government’s offer to facilitate the transfer of a woman law student from Shahjahanpur, who had levelled harassment allegations against former Union Minister and BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand, and her brother to law colleges affiliated to the Bareilly University.

Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Bannerjee told a Bench led by Justice R. Banumathi that the siblings would be provided hostel facilities. “Their future is important,” the court said.

The Bench requested the Bar Council of India (BCI) to increase the seats in the colleges where the woman and her brother would be shifted for LLM and LLB courses respectively.

The top court disposed of the suo motu petition. It said the petition, filed by women lawyers last week, was entertained because the woman was missing at the time. She was subsequently traced to Rajasthan. The apex court had intervened and directed the State police, heading back to Shahjahanpur with her, to bring her to the Supreme Court instead. The Bench of Justices Banumathi and A.S. Bopannathen had an in-camera session with the woman. She conveyed to the judges that she did not want to continue her studies in the college run by Chinmayanand’s ashram at Shahjahanpur. She was allowed last week to stay back in Delhi with her parents for the time being.

‘Free to go back’

On Wednesday, the court said the woman and her parents were at liberty to go back to Shahjahanpur under Delhi Police escort.

The court had on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to set up an SIT, headed by an IG rank officer, to investigate the charges levelled by the woman, as well as two related FIRs. It said that an Allahabad High Court Bench would monitor the investigation.