Former BJP MP Chinmayanand Booked As His Accuser Goes Missing

Shahjahanpur: The Shahjahanpur police, finally, on Tuesday registered a complaint against former Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand for ‘kidnapping and threatening’ after a female student of SS Law College went missing.

The LLM student, in a video that had earlier gone viral, had accused Chinmayanand of threatening her and “destroying lives of several girls”. Incidentally, BJP leader Chinmayanand is the chairman of the SS Law College and NewsClick has learned that Chinmayanand has also been allotted a residence inside the college.

In a telephonic conversation with the NewsClick, father of the girl, narrating his ordeal, said, “The police were not writing the FIR. I was turned down by the police twice and the FIR was registered only after the matter was highlighted in the media.”

Meanwhile, following the pressure mounting on Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh, in an interaction with the media on late Tuesday evening, said, “On the basis of a complaint filed by the victim’s father, we have registered a case against Swami Chinmayanand for alleged kidnapping and threatening the victim’s family.”

The top cop further added that UP Special Task Force (STF) has been asked to join the investigation and teams have been sent to different locations to track the victim. “The police has some clues through electronic surveillance which are very vital and the police are confident of tracing her very soon,” the police chief said.

The Video

“I’m Neela* (name changed) from Shahjahanpur and I am pursuing LLM from SS College. A big leader of the saint society, who has destroyed lives of several girls, has been issuing me life threats. I have all the evidence against him,” she said in the video posted on Facebook on August 24.

She requests Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath in the video to help her. “I request Modi ji and Yogi ji to help me. He (the saint) has even threatened to kill my family. Only I know what I have been going through. Modi ji, please help me, he is a sanyasi and is threatening that the police, DM and everyone else is on his side and no one can harm him. I request you all for justice.”

What Father Says

“My daughter has been missing for the last four days. When I spoke to Swami ji, he did not talk to me properly. I request the government to do justice. Her mother had gone to see her room on the college campus but that was locked,” he said.

 The father has named Chinmayanand in his complaint after the girl indirectly hinted towards the BJP leader.

“My daughter had told her mother that if her phone is switched off for a long time, it would mean that she is in big trouble. Her phone has been switched off since August 24 and things do not look good to us. We are helpless,” the father said.

While going through the social media profile of the girl, the reporter found a picture – purportedly taken on the occasion of her 22nd birthday – where Chinmayanand is seen standing on the left during a cake cutting ceremony.

Extortion Angle

Chinmayanand’s close confidante, P Kumar, said, “Swami ji does not attend such functions frequently. He follows his schedule.”

On the other hand, the college administration has maintained that this is a minor issue. Principal Sanjay Kumar Baranwal said, “This is not a big issue. Her house is around 2 km away from the hostel. She had been visiting her house off and on. So when she was not in the hostel, we thought she might have gone home.”

“The police complaint has been lodged and let them do the work and find the girl,” he said as he hung up.

Om Singh, Chinmayanand’s counsel said, “My client has nothing to do with the missing of the girl. He is also concerned about her missing status.”

“Chinmayanand is a victim of blackmail and extortion, as he received a message on August 22, asking him to give Rs 5 crore as extortion money. The blackmailer had threatened to circulate some video, which could tarnish his image,” the advocate said.

Meanwhile the SSP Shahjahanpur S Chinappa said, “We have detained a youth in connection with the extortion call and are interrogating him.”

Rape Accusations Against Chinmayanand

A former disciple and manager of Mumukshu Ashram – run by Chinmayanand – had filed an FIR against him on November 30, 2011, alleging that she was held captive, raped and assaulted for several years by him. However, he was never arrested for this.

On March 9, 2018, Additional District Magistrate (administration), Shahjahanpur, Sarvesh Dixit sent a letter to senior prosecution officer, directing him to move a petition in court for withdrawal of the case. The plea was, however, turned down by the chief judicial magistrate.