CHINMAYAN AND CASE: WOMAN GIVES EVIDENCE TO SIT

LUCKNOW : The law student, who has leveled sexual harassment charges against former BJP MP Swami Chinmayanand, has submitted a pen drive to the special investigation team (SIT) conducting the probe. An official privy to the matter said, “The woman submitted a pen drive to the SIT that she claimed contains video evidence.” He said the complainant had told the SIT that the former minister had exploited some other girls of her college, he said. She also alleged that some items, including an almirah, had been removed from the room.

LUCKNOW : Even as the special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe a law student’s rape allegations against Swami Chinmayanand interrogated him on Thursday night and sealed a few rooms in his ashram, the woman reportedly handed over a USB drive to the sleuths.

An official, privy to the matter, said, “The woman submitted a USB drive to the SIT that she claimed contained video evidence.” The woman also told the SIT that the former minister had also exploited other girls like her of the same college, he added.

While talking to mediapersons in Shahjahanpur, the woman said, “The SIT asked me to identify the room where the video was shot to blackmail me. I have identified it. I had a USB drive that was taken away from me earlier. But I had a separate copy of it that I submitted to the SIT.” She did not disclose who took away the USB drive from her.

However, she also said, “Some items, including an almirah, have been removed from my room.”

The SIT along with forensic team took the woman to the ashram and inspected Chinmayanand’s bedroom. The woman reportedly told the sleuths the interior of the room had changed.

On Saturday, the SIT recorded the statement of her mother. Earlier, on Friday, the SIT asked the former minister not to leave town without informing them.

On Thursday, former union minister was grilled by sleuths for eight hours at the Shahjahanpur police lines. Chinmayanand’s lawyer Om Singh said, “Swamiji is cooperating with the SIT in the probe. We have full faith in the investigation team. We want the truth to come out. A room in the ashram was sealed, which was opened on Friday evening after the SIT and forensic team completed their inspections.”

Earlier, on Tuesday, the SIT had entered the sealed hostel room of the 23-year-old complainant.

A day before that she had claimed that proof of all her allegations against Chinmayanand were kept in her hostel room. “The room was opened in the presence of the woman and her father,” said a police official.

The hostel room had been sealed on the SC’s directions after allegations against the former union minister first surfaced in August.