Court issues bailable warrant against Swami Chinmayanand

A local court issued a bailable warrant against former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand, rejecting the Uttar Pradesh government's plea for withdrawing a rape case against him. 

Hearing the application moved by the rape victim against the state government's plea for withdrawing the case, Chief Judicial Magistrate Shikha Pradhan yesterday rejected it and also issued a bailable warrant of Rs 5,000.

The court also directed the former minister to be present in the court on the next date of hearing on July 12.

The government had earlier sent a letter to the district magistrate for withdrawing the case against Chinmayanand, who was charged with raping his disciple and holding her hostage.

The district administration had sent the letter to the CJM court.

The victim, on the other hand, had sent letters to the court objecting the government's move, which the CJM rejected.

When contacted, the victim said the CJM court order proved that the government had made a mistake in making a recommendation in this regard.

"Now the state government should help me in getting justice in this case," she said.

In 2011, the victim had alleged that she was kept at an ashram and raped by the former minister. When she got pregnant, Chinmayanand allegedly forced her to have an abortion.

She lodged an FIR at Kotwali police station here and a charge sheet was filed after police investigation, but the Allahabad High Court stayed Chinmayanand's arrest.

The case had been pending in the high court since 2012.

Chinmayanand was a three-time BJP MP and minister of state for internal security in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999.

PTI