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Court orders arrest of ex-min Chinmayanand in 11-year-old sexual harassment case
A special MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district has directed police to arrest former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand Saraswati in an 11-year-old sexual harassment case and produce him before it on December 9.
A special MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district has directed police to arrest former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand Saraswati in an 11-year-old sexual harassment case and produce him before it on December 9.
Chinmayanand Saraswati has been accused of sexually harassing a disciple in 2011 at an ashram owned by him.
Special judge Asma Sultana also rejected the accused’s plea for extension of date to appear before the court due to ill health.
Chinmayanand Saraswati’s advocate said he has filed an application for anticipatory bail in the high court, which is to be heard on December 6.
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The judge, however, noted that he was given time by the Supreme Court to surrender on November 30 but he did not appear, so the period cannot be extended.
In 2018, the state government had sent a letter to the court to withdraw the case but the victim objected. The court subsequently issued an arrest warrant against the accused.
Subsequently, the former Union minister approached Allahabad high court for withdrawal of the case. The high court too upheld the lower court’s order, prompting him to move the top court which also rejected his appeal.
