Bail pleas denied for Chinmayanand, law student who accused him of rape

New Delhi: The bail pleas made for rape accused former union minister and BJP leader Chinmayanand and the 23-year-old law student who accused him of the said rape, were both turned down by a court in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. They will now have to approach a higher court for relief.

Although arrested, Chinmayanand has not been charged with rape. Instead, he has been charged under a sub-section of the rape law for "misusing authority for sexual intercourse". Days after his arrest on September 20, Chinmayanand was shifted to a hospital and has been there since, reported NDTV.

The law student was arrested last week for allegedly trying to extort a sum of Rs 5 crore from Chinmayanand and is also in jail. The SIT looking into the case said she has "confessed" to the crime.

The law student was also sent to 14-day judicial custody on Sep 25 on charges of demanding extortion money from him.

The decision of the court came soon after the Congress tried to hold a rally in solidarity with the law student who according to them was arrested because Chinmyanand is a BJP leader, but was stopped by the state police. The party said around 80 of its leaders and workers, including senior leader Jitin Prasada, was taken into preventive custody.

The party's senior leader Priyanka Gandhi has alleged that the entire administration has been "protecting" the 73-year-old former minister.

The charges against Chinmayanand carry a punishment of five to 10 years in jail and a fine. A rape charge would have meant a seven-year jail term, extending to a life term.

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