UP to withdraw rape case against Swami Chinmayananda

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to withdraw rape and kidnapping case against former union minister Swami Chinamayananda, official sources said here on Tuesday.

A letter in this regard has been sent to the district administration on March 6 on behalf of the government, the sources said. Subsequently, the Shahjahanpur administration had on March 9 written to the prosecution officer of the case for its withdrawal. On the other hand, the rape victim has sent letters to the President and the district judge raising objections over the move, urging them for immediate issuance of warrant against the accused.

Additional district magistrate (administration) Sarvesh Dixit said the state government has decided to withdraw case filed against Chinamayanada in the Kotwali police station under sections 376, 506 of IPC and the process for the same has been initiated by the prosecution officials.

The victim, in her letter, also said that Aditynath on a visit to Shahjahanpur, had lunch at the house of the accused on February 25, 2018. The FIR against the former minister was lodged in November 30, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.

The girl had alleged she was kept at an ashram in Haridwar and raped by the former minister. Her father had lodged an FIR against him at Kotwali police station in Shahjahanpur.

However, Chinmayanand moved the high court, which had stayed his arrest.