MP/MLA court orders arrest of former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand in sexual assault case

During the hearing of the case on Thursday, the MP/MLA court special judge Asma Sultana also rejected Chinmayanand’s plea for extension of date to appear before the court due to ill health.

Lucknow: The MP/MLA court of Shahjahanpur district has ordered cops to arrest Swami Chinmayanand, the former Union minister of state for home affairs, in an 11-year-old case of sexual harassment. According to the case lodged against the former minister in 2011, his disciple was sexually harassed at Shahjahanpur-based Mumukshu Ashram, which is owned by Chinmayanand himself.

According to the case lodged against the former minister in 2011, his disciple was sexually harassed. (HT Photo)

During the hearing of the case on Thursday, the MP/MLA court special judge Asma Sultana also rejected Chinmayanand’s plea for extension of date to appear before the court due to ill health. Instead, she ordered the police to produce him for physical hearing on December 9. Earlier, the former minister was asked by the Supreme Court to attend the MP/MLA court hearing on November 30. However, Chinmayanand didn’t appear before the lower court.

Back in 2018, the state government had started proceedings to withdraw the case against Chinmayanand. However, after the victim approached the court objecting to the government’s move, the court not only rejected the state’s application but also issued an arrest warrant against Chinmayanand.

Subsequently, the former Union minister approached the Allahabad high court for withdrawal of case. However, the high court too upheld the lower court’s order. After this, Chinmayanand knocked the doors of the Supreme Court (SC) for withdrawal of the case but the apex court also rejected his appeal. The SC also ordered him to appear before the MP/MLA court in Shahjahanpur on November 30. The accused, however, didn’t adhere to the order.