Swami Chinmayanand gets anticipatory bail in rape case

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to former Union minister and ex-BJP MP Swami Chinmayanand in a rape case filed in Shahjahanpur in 2011.
Granting the anticipatory bail, Justice Samit Gopal said: "Till the next date of listing, in the event of arrest of the applicant - Swami Chinmiyanand Saraswati, involved in the aforesaid case shall be released on interim anticipatory bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rupees One lakh) with two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court."
He also ordered the victim and the state government to file a reply in this matter within four weeks.
Chinmayanand's counsel argued that through an order dated July 16, 2012 passed by a division bench of the HC, Chinmayanand was granted protection from arrest during the pendency of probe, he said.
The applicant is an old and infirm person aged about 75 years having several sicknesses, Chinmayanand's counsel added.
Opposing the prayer for anticipatory bail, the state's counsel said he could not dis-pute the protection granted to the applicant during the pendency of the investigation.
The matter will be heard next on February 6, 2023.
In 2011, the complainant had lodged a case of sexual harassment and rape against Swami Chinmayanand, who was a former BJP MP and ju-nior Union minister.
She accused Chinmayanand of establishing physical relationship, by mixing some intoxicants in her food.
She had also accused him of filming her and blackmailing her on the basis of those audio-visual videos and photographs.