Chinmayanand case: SC allows law student to change college

Swami Chinmayanand

The Supreme Court has allowed the law student, who made sexual harassment allegations against former union minister Swami Chinmayanand, to take admission in another University on Wednesday, IANS reported.

A bench headed by Justice R. Banumathi gave the order after the Uttar Pradesh government said that it has made all arrangements to shift the girl, who is pursuing LLM and her brother to another college. The apex court also assured that hostel accommodation will also be provided to them in the campus.

Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, appearing for the UP government, said that if the court will pass order then it will make it easy for the students to take admission as the process is complete in most colleges, IANS reported.

Also Read: Chinmayanand case: Evidence intact, says law student's father

The court then urged the Bar Council of India to pass appropriate direction in this regard and disposed off the matter saying that suo motu cognisance was taken to trace the girl who had gone missing and was traced to Rajasthan.

"Now that she has been traced, we don't intend to do much. State has also offered to help to transfer them to other college to continue studies," the bench reportedly said adding that they do not want to expand the scope of the petition now.

The court also rejected the plea to meet the girl again and said that whatever she has to say, she must tell the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The bench then said that the girl and her parents are now free to go back to Shahjahanpur and take their own decisions. The court also directed Delhi Police to escort them to their residence under its protection.

The Supreme Court on Monday had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the sexual harassment allegations made by the law student against Swami Chinmayanand, who runs the college where the girl studied. The apex court also asked the Allahabad High Court to monitor the probe.

The Supreme Court, had decided to take up the case on last Thursday, after lawyers reportedly raised concerns that it could turn into another Unnao case where powerful Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, now expelled, is accused of raping a minor girl from his village in 2017 and conspiring to murder her by staging a car crash.

Chinmayanand (72) runs an ashram in Shahjahanpur and five colleges in the town. He also runs ashrams in Haridwar and Rishikesh.

After the apex court order, it is likely that the SIT will probe the college and the individuals named in the complaints to ascertain the truth, reported IANS.

With inputs from IANS

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