The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the transfer of the law student who has levelled harassment allegations against former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Chinmayanand and her brother to other law colleges saying it was important for their future, PTI reported.
A group of lawyers had approached the Supreme Court last week requesting for the case to be taken up suo motu after she had gone missing. The top court on Wednesday disposed the petition, saying the woman in the case has been found and nothing else remained in the matter. It also rejected a plea by the lawyers that the court should meet the woman once more. “We do not want to meet anyone,” the court said. “Just ask her to tell Allahabad High Court or SIT, whatever she wants to say.”
On Monday, the Supreme Court had ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a special investigation team to probe the sexual harassment allegations. It also asked the state government to look for an educational institution where the woman and her brother could be given admission as they might not be able to continue studying at the same one under the given circumstances. Chinmayanand is the president of her college administration.
The state government told a bench of Justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna that in accordance with the top court’s earlier order, they have made all arrangements to transfer the woman and her brother from SS Law College to Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University in Bareilly and Shreeji Institute of Legal and Vocational Studies, respectively. Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, said they have made arrangements for the accommodation of the woman’s brother in the hostel and that their fees for the new colleges would be adjusted.
The Supreme Court said the matter was listed to ensure that their studies are not affected. “This is the benevolence shown by the state government,” the court said. “She has got best of the institution. Education is very important for her. Ask her to join the institution and study. It is only with education that people can grow in this country.”
The court also requested the Bar Council of India to increase the seats at the colleges in which the woman and her brother will be shifted for their respective law courses.
It added that the woman and her family can go back to their home in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by Delhi Police. If there was any concern with regard to their safety and security, the court said, they can approach the Allahabad High Court.
A ‘big conspiracy’
Chinmayanand alleged that the law student’s complaint was part of a “very big conspiracy” against him by people who do not want development in Shahjahanpur, where the college is located.
“There is a very big conspiracy against me,” Chinmayanand claimed, according to News18. “Some people don’t want development for this region. I have full faith in the judiciary and I will say whatever I have to say before the SIT.”
The 23-year-old law student had gone missing last week after posting a video about alleged harassment by influential people on August 24. Although she did not name anyone, a missing-person complaint filed by her father named Chinmayanand, who is the president of her college administration. The Uttar Pradesh Police, on August 27, had booked Chinmayanand on kidnapping charges. She was found in Rajasthan on August 30.
The top court had met the woman on Friday and directed the Delhi police commissioner to send a team to Uttar Pradesh to escort her parents to the national Capital. The judges had also asked the court registry to make arrangements for the woman’s stay in Delhi for four days.
Chinmayanand’s lawyer has refuted the harassment allegations, claiming that it was an extortion attempt. The BJP leader is a three-time Lok Sabha MP and was also a minister of state in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s administration. The 72-year-old has also claimed he was being framed like Unnao rape-accused legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
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