Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday stayed the arrest of religious leader-turned-politician and former Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand who has been accused of sexual assault by an ex-disciple.
The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice DP Singh and Justice VK Mathur which asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file its counter-affidavit within three weeks on the petition filed by Chinmayanand, who was the Union Minister of State for Home during the BJP-led NDA regime.
The former Union Minister has challenged an FIR lodged against him at Kotwali police station of Shahjahanpur district by one Chidarpita Gautam.
In the FIR, the complainant has alleged that she had become a disciple of Swami Chinmayanand in 2005 and during her stay at his ashram the 64-year-old religious leader had repeatedly raped her, made her undergo abortion more than once and threatened to kill her whenever she protested.
The court has ordered that the matter be listed for further hearing after three weeks.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 22, 2011, 16:11