An Uttar Pradesh special investigation team (SIT) on Saturday reached the Shahjahanpur district jail and recorded the statements of three men accused of extorting Rs 5 crore from former Union Minister and BJP leader Chinmayanand. The BJP leader, who has been booked for alleged sexual assault on a 23-year-old law student at his ashram, and the three men —Sanjay Singh, Vikram alias Durgesh and Sachin alias Sonu Sengar — were arrested and sent to judicial custody on Friday. The SIT has also been probing the alleged role of the 23-year-old student in the extortion case after it came to light that she was in touch with the three men.It is yet to recover the cellphones of the woman and Sanjay Singh. Government counsel Lal Sahab Singh said, “An application was moved by the SIT today (Saturday), seeking permission to record the statements of all the three accused inside the jail. The court allowed the same.” The three accused and Chinmayanand are kept in separate barracks to avoid any confrontation between them. The woman’s father on Saturday said he would move court to get rape charge added to the FIR against Chinmayanand. ENS
