Set up SIT to probe allegations against Chinmayanand, SC tells UP government

New Delhi, September 2

The Supreme Court on Monday told the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a Special Investigation Team to investigate allegations of harassment against former union minister Chinmayanand.  

A bench of justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna said that the team should be headed by an officer of the Inspector General rank, and asked the Allahabad High Court to set up a Bench to monitor investigations into two cross FIRs filed in the case.

The court said the SIT, which it said should also have an officer of the superintendent rank, should look into grievances of the woman law student who made the allegations. The state government has been asked to also consider having the woman and her brother admitted to another college after they voiced apprehensions about continuing to study in the college run by Chinmayanand’s ashram trust.

The woman, a student of a law college run by the BJP Member of Parliament's trust, had uploaded a video clip in which she spoke about the harassment she faced from "a senior leader of the sant community". She also spoke about threat to her family's life. 

The woman went missing soon after, and was traced to Rajasthan. Police then brought her before the Supreme Court, which posted the case for hearing on Monday.  

She had not named Chinmayanand in her allegations, but her father cited the leader's alleged sexual harassment of his daughter as the reason behind her disappearance.

Soon after she went missing, police booked Chinmayanand for abduction and intimidation.  Agencies