Shahjahanpur: BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand who has been arrested in connection with the allegations of sexual assault raised by a law student in Uttar Pradesh has confessed to his crimes.
"Main sharminda hoon," is what Chinmayanand told the Special Investigation Team during investigations.
Naveen Arora, who has been heading the SIT team, told reporters that during the course of investigation that as they unraveled the case, Chinmayanand admitted to his actions and said, "Mujhse aur kuchh mat puchhiye".
The SIT has not charged Chinmayanand with rape.
"He has admitted to almost every allegation leveled against him, including sexual conversations and body massage. The circumstantial evidence in the case also being examined. He said he did not want to say more as he is ashamed of his acts," said the SIT chief.
The SIT chief said that they had taken all precautions about the health of Chinmayanand before arresting him.
According to Arora, the SIT managed to look at Chinmayanand's call records and found that he had called the survivor more than 200 times on her mobile.
The police have booked Chinmayanand under Sections 376c (intercourse by a person of authority), 354 D (stalking), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Further, three associates of the girl have also been booked under Sections 385, 506 and 201 of IPC and Section 67 of the IT Act for blackmailing the BJP leader for extorting Rs 5 crore from him. The three have also been sent to jail.
The BJP leader, who has been accused of stalking, wrongful confinement and intimidation, was taken into custody by the SIT of UP Police from his residence 'Divya Dham' here in the morning. The BJP leader was taken to the court following a medical examination.
The law student, who is enrolled in a postgraduate course at one of the colleges run by Chinmayanand's organisation, had levelled allegations of rape and physically exploitation against the former Union minister. She claimed that the ordeal went on for a year.
The UP Police had set up an SIT to probe the case, on the directions of the Supreme Court.
Chinmayanand was taken to a government hospital by a special team of UP police for medical examination. He was then produced in court and sent to jail for 14 days.
Chinmayanand was not charged with rape for almost a month, after the woman filed a police complaint.
The woman, who is a postgraduate student at one of the ashram's colleges, has alleged that she was raped and physically exploited for a year by the former Union minister.
The case is being investigated by the special investigation team (SIT) set up by Uttar Pradesh police on the directions of the Supreme Court.
The student had earlier threatened self-immolation if the police do not arrest him.
The police team probing rape accusations against Chinmayanand on Thursday obtained records purportedly related to the appointment of the alleged victim's mother at a college run by the BJP leader's ashram.
The mother of the woman who has levelled rape allegations against Chinmayanand was apparently appointed as a teacher at a college run by his Mumukshu ashram in May, sources said.
The college principal has handed over the related documents to the SIT probing the case, they said.
Inspector General Naveen Arora, who heads the team, said a mobile phone and a pen drive given by the student have been sent for forensic examination.
The pen drive contains 43 video clips which the student says support her allegations.
Police had earlier registered a case of criminal intimidation and abduction against Chinmayanand on a complaint lodged by the woman's father. Later, the student also accused him of rape and "physical exploitation".
Recounting her ordeal, the survivor said that after she took admission in LLM, Chinmayanand's men called her to his home and left her in a room on the upper floor where the former minister showed her a video of her having a bath, after which her physical exploitation began.
The woman, however, said that this video was not found by the probe agency in the bedroom and claimed that it could have been kept in Chinmayanand's Haridwar ashram.
Chinmayanand, who had complained of diabetes, loose motions and high blood pressure, was admitted at the government hospital and later referred to King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.
But he chose to return to his Divya Dham residence and get Ayurvedic treatment there.
