Chinmayanand sexual harassment case: BJP leader quizzed by SIT for 7 hours over Shahjahanpur law student's rape allegations

Shahjahanpur: BJP leader and former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand has been quizzed by the SIT for around seven hours in connection with a law student’s allegation that he raped her, his counsel said on Friday. According to CNN News18, the SIT team sealed the Divya Dham ashram around 4 am. Only one room had been left for the BJP leader. However, Chinmayanand’s lawyer refuted the reports and said that only a room was sealed. Sources told NDTV that Chinmayanand’s questioning started at 6:20 pm on Thursday and went on till 1 am. The special investigation team, formed on the orders of the Supreme Court, summoned Chinmayanad to the police lines on Thursday night, his counsel Om Singh said. Later, he was brought back to his residence Divya Dham in Mumukshu Ashram under heavy security, he said. The SIT team also inspected the bedroom of the BJP leader at the ashram but since it was very late they sealed the room. They are expected to continue their inspection on Friday, he said. The postgraduate student has alleged that she was raped and “physically exploited” for a year by the BJP leader, whose organisation runs several colleges. In a letter on the SIT on Wednesday , the woman had alleged that some vital evidence was removed from her hostel room by Chinmayanand’s supporters before it was sealed by the police.