Missing UP student ‘sexually harassed’ by BJP leader found in Rajasthan

Lucknow, August 30

The missing student whose father alleged she was sexually harassed by BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand was found in Rajasthan with a friend on Friday morning, police said.

The young woman, who had been missing since August 24, is fine and is being brought to Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh police chief OP Singh told reporters here.

“We constituted a number of teams and they were working in Rajasthan, Haryana, UP and Delhi. Her movement was being tracked for the past four to five days. Her call details are being analysed," the director general of police said.

It was not immediately known where in Rajasthan she was found.

Chinmayanand's counsel Om Singh said she appeared to have fallen prey to those working against the BJP leader and was being used to serve their interests.

"She will be brought here and her statement to the police will clear the air and conspirators will be nabbed," the counsel said.

In New Delhi, the Supreme Court asked the counsel appearing for the state to apprise it of the woman's exact location and also by when she could be produced before it.

The apex court had taken cognisance on its own in the matter after a group of lawyers had written a letter to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on the matter.

Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police (city) Dinesh Tripathi said teams from the district were sent to different places to locate the LLM student.     

"In Shahjahanpur episode the girl has been located by Shahjahanpur police in Rajasthan along with her friend. Necessary legal action is being taken," Uttar Pradesh Police posted on its Twitter handle.              

The student at a college run by Chinmayanand's trust went missing a day after she posted a video on social media alleging that a "senior leader of the sant community" was harassing and threatening to kill her. She did not name Chinmayanand in the video.

The politician, who faced similar accusations in 2011 and was booked for raping a woman who stayed at his ashram, disputed the charge.

In his initial complaint to the police, the young woman's father alleged she and some others were sexually harassed by Chinmayanand.

Shahjahanpur police said Chinmayanand has been booked on charges related to abduction for murder and criminal intimidation.  PTI