LUCK: In a major twist, the 23-year-old LLM student who had accused former BJP MP Chinmayanand of sexual exploitation last year turned hostile before a special MP-MLA court here on Tuesday.
The Lucknow court was hearing the case under the direction of the Allahabad High Court. The student appeared in court on Tuesday and categorically denied that she had made any complaint against the former minister as the prosecution had accused him.
Stunned by the development, the prosecution team immediately forwarded an application under Section 340 of the CrPC seeking action against him for perjury.
Judge PK Rai ordered his office to register the application and asked the prosecution to provide a copy of the application to the victim and the accused. The court set October 15 for a hearing on the application.
The girl was a student at a law school run by the Chinmayanand ashram in Shahjahanpur and had accused him of sexual exploitation. The case made national headlines when the girl disappeared and appeared before the Supreme Court. The UP government formed an SIT to investigate the case. Later, Chinmayanad also alleged that he was trying to extort money from him. The two presented cross FIRs and then both were arrested. The two are now free on bail.
Swami was arrested on September 20, 2019. The investigating officer filed a charge sheet against him under Section 376 (C), 354 (D), 342 and 506 of the IPC. The IO cited 33 witnesses and 29 exhibits on a 13-page charge sheet. He was released on bail from the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2020. The court also transferred Shahjahanpur’s trial to the Lucknow MP-MLA court.
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