SC orders SIT probe into sexual harassment allegation against BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will take over the probe into the alleged sexual harassment charge levelled by a law student against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Swami Chinmayanand. The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to form an SIT, which will carry out the investigation under Allahabad High Court's supervision, for the same.

The bench of Justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna had taken up the suo moto case following news reports which claimed that a female law student had been missing after alleging that she was sexually harassed by Swami Chinmayanand. She was a student of Swami Shukdevanand Law College in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur and Swami Chinmayanand is the director of the institute

The girl was found on Friday in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan and produced before the court the same day. She refused to go back to her parents in Shahjahanpur following which the apex court directed Delhi Police to ensure her stay at All India Women's Conference (AIWC) hostel or YMCA for four days and provide her security. According to the girl, she will meet her parents in Delhi and only then decide on her future course of action.

A group of Supreme Court lawyers had on Wednesday filed a petition urging the Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, to take suo moto cognisance of the allegations. Uttar Pradesh Police later filed an FIR against Swami Chinmayanand.

She had gone missing on August 24, 2019, after posting a video on social media in which she had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help.