UP BJP leader Chinmayanand quizzed by SIT for over 7 hours

The special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe a law student’s rape allegations against Swami Chinmayanand grilled the former union minister for over seven hours at the Shahjahanpur police lines in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday night, the police said.

Officials also sealed Chinmayanand’s bedroom at his Shahjahanpur residence in the early hours of Friday.

Amid tight security, the SIT, accompanied by the woman complainant and a forensics team, reached the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader’s house to inspect the sealed room.

The postgraduate student had alleged last month she was raped and “physically exploited” for a year by the BJP leader, whose organisation runs several colleges.

A policeman who wished to remain anonymous said the room had to be inspected in the presence of the woman to verify her allegations. “No one is allowed to enter or exit Chinmayanand’s house till the probe team is inside. The forensics team will inspect the room that was sealed last night,” he said.

Chinmayanand, who was asked to join the investigation, reached the police lines at 6pm on Thursday and was with the SIT till after 1pm, his lawyer Om Singh said. Then SIT arrived at his residence to inspect the bedroom and sealed it, he added.

“It is part of the investigation. They (SIT) sealed it last night and will open it after the probe is over,” he said.