Allahabad High Court grants anticipatory bail to Swami Chinmayanand in 2011 rape case

PTI

Prayagraj (UP), February 6

The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to former union minister of state Swami Chinmayanand in the 2011 Shahjahanpur rape case, noting that the complainant has no objection to the withdrawal of proceedings against him.

The court had on December 19 last year granted interim bail to Chinmayanand, 76, till the next date of hearing and directed the complainant woman and the state government to file their replies within four weeks.

“The deponent has no objection to the withdrawal of the instant criminal prosecution and the deponent has no interest in further prosecuting the aforesaid case,” Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh observed on Monday.

“Considering the stand of the complainant and the State, this court finds it appropriate that the interim order dated 19.12.2022 be confirmed and thus, the accused-applicant is admitted on anticipatory bail,” it said.

His counsel had said the state Government had decided to withdraw the prosecution and the public prosecutor had filed an application under Section 321 of CrPC, but it was rejected by the trial court citing “larger public interest and to secure the ends of the justice”.

In 2011, on a complaint from one of his disciples, the case of sexual exploitation was registered against Chinmayanand, the founder of Mumukshu Ashram.