LUCKNOW: The special MP-MLA Court here on Friday acquitted former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand in connection with a case lodged for allegedly sexually exploiting a law student in Shahjahanpur.
Pronouncing the judgment, special judge PK Rai said that the prosecution could not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The survivor had already turned hostile during the course of trial.
Besides Chinmayanad, the court also acquitted the law student and other co–accused Sanjay Singh, DPS Rathore, Vikram Singh, Sachin Singh and Ajeet Singh in connection with extortion case. Chinmayanad, a former BJP MP who was junior home minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet, had lodged a case of extortion against them, but the court couldn't find any evidence.
All the witnesses had turned hostile in both the cases.
At the time of pronouncement of verdict, Chinmayanand and other accused persons were present in the court.
The Supreme Court had stepped in when the 23-year-old student went missing for a few days in August 2019 after posting a video clip on social media, alleging sexual abuse by the former minister.
Her father lodged an FIR with Kotwali police station in Shahjahanpur police station on August 27, 2019 alleging that her daughter was pursuing LLM from the college run by Chinmayanad's trust and was living in hostel. Her mobile was switched off since August 23.
On the other hand, Chinmayanad's advocate Om Singh lodged an FIR on August 25, 2019 with the same police station against the law student and others for demanding Rs 5 crore as extortion from him.
The girl surfaced in Rajasthan a few days later and reiterated her charges. The Supreme Court took cognizance of the case and on its direction, the UP government formed a Special Investigation Team to probe both the charges. The SIT arrested both Chinmayanad and the students, along with her aides.
The investigation in both the FIRs was completed and chargesheet filed against him on November 4, 2019.
Chinmayanad was booked under Sections 376C (Using position of power for sexual favour), 354D (stalking), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (intimidation) of the IPC.
The law student and others were booked under Sections 385 (extortion) and several other sections of the IPC.
After initial hearing in Shahjahanpur, the case was transferred to the MP-MLA court on the direction of the Allahabad high court. The hearing in the special court started in March 2020.
During the course of hearing the law student, while appearing before the court in October 2020, turned hostile and withdrew her charges against Chinmayanand.
She told the court that she had made the charges of sexual harassment under coercion from anti-social elements who “are enemies of the former Union minister”.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)