Swami Chinmayanand arrested: Ex-BJP leader sent to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with Shahjahanpur sexual assault case

Former BJP leader, Swami Chinmayanand, accused in the rape case involving a law student, was arrested from his Shahjahanpur residence, by the Special Investigation Team on Friday. This arrest comes after a lot of pressure on the police.  He has been sent to 14 days judicial custody by a local court. It also comes five days after the victim recorded her statement in court. The exact charges of this arrest are awaited.

According to NDTV, the former BJP leader is not being charged with rape but for "misusing authority for sexual intercourse" or "sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape", according to his lawyer. The police have not confirmed this charge, which carries a punishment of up to five years in jail and a fine.

The BJP leader was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh police from his residence Divya Dham amid heavy security deployment, his lawyer Pooja Singh told PTI.

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He was taken for medical examination to a government hospital. He was then taken to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate where he will be presented. Security has been beefed up in the district hospital. He had been admitted to the Shahjahanpur government hospital after his health deteriorated.

Singh said the SIT took signatures of Chinmayanand's relatives on the arrest memo but no arrest-related documents were given to them. As Chinmayanand was taken for a medical check-up, patients at the government hospital had to face a tough time as they were not allowed to enter the premises.

Teams led by senior police officials have been deployed at the court premises and the hospital. A team of police officials is also patrolling the area to ensure there is no disturbance, a senior official said.

He had been admitted to the Shahjahanpur government hospital after his health deteriorated on Thursday.

The 72-year-old complained of diabetes, loose motions and high blood pressure when he was admitted at the government hospital.

"Seeing his advanced age and other complications, we referred him to the KGMU Hospital in Lucknow," a hospital spokesperson said.

He underwent several tests at the Shahjahanpur hospital where a team of four doctors monitored his condition, the spokesperson told PTI.

The student had earlier threatened self-immolation if the police do not arrest him.

Inspector-General Naveen Arora, who heads the team, said a mobile phone and a pen drive given by the student have been sent for forensic examination.

The pen drive contains 43 video clips that the student says support her allegations.

Police had earlier registered a case of criminal intimidation and abduction against Chinmayanand on a complaint lodged by the woman's father. Later, the student also accused him of rape and "physical exploitation". The SIT has also examined the principals of the two colleges where the girl studied in recent years.

Further details awaited.

With inputs from agencies