Chinmayanand rape case: Ex-Union minister appears before Lucknow MP-MLA special court

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Chinmayanand on Wednesday appeared before an MP-MLA special court in Lucknow in connection with the alleged rape case of a law student.

The next date of the hearing is slated for March 4. Chinmayanand had not appeared in the court during the last hearing, due to which the case was then transferred from Shahjahanpur court to the Lucknow court.

READ | Chinmayanand Sexual Harassment Case: Allahabad HC Grants Bail To Former BJP Union Minister

High Court grants bail

The Allahabad High Court on February 3, granted bail to Chinmayanand in the alleged rape case of a student. In December 2019, the 23-year-old law student who has accused Chinmayanand of rape was herself released on bail from a district jail in connection with an extortion case after being granted said bail by the Allahabad High Court. She had been arrested in September in connection with Chinmayanand's complaint alleging that she, along with three of her friends, demanded Rs 5 crore from him. On the other hand, the victim had alleged that Chinmayanand repeatedly raped and blackmailed her for over a year.

The father of the victim said that they had faith in the judicial system and will see this case through.

READ | Rape Case: Ex-BJP Leader Chinmayanand Scheduled To Appear Before MP-MLA Court In Lucknow

READ | Chinmayanand Vs Law Student: HC Says Not Sure Who Exploited Whom

HC not sure who exploited whom

The Allahabad High Court on February 4 said it is difficult to determine who exploited whom in the case in which former Swami Chinmayanand is accused of sexually abusing a student. “In fact, both of them used each other,” Justice Rahul Chaturvedi said while granting bail to the BJP leader.

The judge had transferred the case to the Lucknow court, noting the victim's belief that the BJP leader could infringe with the law if the case is heard in his hometown Shahjahanpur.

Chinmayanand, whose trust runs the Shahjahanpur law college where the victim studied, was arrested on September 20 under section 376-C of the IPC, a charge short of rape.

READ | Chinmayanand Case: Another Accused In Extortion Case Gets Bail

(With inputs from ANI)