BJP delinks itself from rape accused Chinmayanand, says he’s not party member

Chinamayanand, who is accused of sexually harassing a law student for over a year, was arrested last week. Ever since the matter has come to fore, no BJP leader has come out in his support. Even the Akhara Parishad, the prominent body of seers, is set take a decision on expulsion of Chinmayanand from the body at its meeting in Haridwar on October 10, PTI reported. He belonged to the Prayagraj-based Mahanirvani Akhara.

Chinmayanand was elected as a Member of Parliament from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh in 1999 and served as a minister of state for home in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP government. He had won general elections from Badaun in 1991 and from Machhlishahr in 1998.

Last week, the SIT probing the rape case against Chinmayanand had said he had admitted of getting body massage and using objectionable words while talking to the law student. However, he had denied the rape charges against him.

The girl, who studies in a college run by an organisation headed by Chinmayanand, recovered her statement before a magistrate in Shahjahanpur. The 23-year-old, however, was arrested Wednesday by the SIT for allegedly blackmailing and trying to extort Rs 5 crore from Chinamayanand. Hours later, her bail plea was rejected and she was subsequently sent to 14 days judicial custody.

Last month, the BJP had also expelled party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused of raping a woman in Unnao. The expulsion came days after the Unnao rape victim and her lawyer were critically wounded and two of her relatives were killed in a mysterious road accident.

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