'Accused Powerful Man; Victim's Life In Danger' : Plea In SC For Transfer Of Trial In Chinmayanand Case From UP To Delhi

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider on March 2 the petition seeking transfer of trial of sexual abuse case against former Union Minister and BJP leader Chinmayanand from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

This was after Senior Advocate Collin Gonsalves mentioned the matter before the bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde.

'The accused is a powerful man. The victim's life is in danger', submitted Gonsalves.

The CJI remarked that the victim can move for police protection if she is apprehending danger to life.

Last year, a woman studying LLM at a college in Shajahanpur under the management of Chinmayanad alleged that he had sexually abused her on multiple occasions.  Following that, FIR was registered against him invoking Section 376C of the Indian Penal Code.

He was arrested by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team on September 30, 2019, and was under custody until February 3, when the Allahabad HC granted him bail.

The student has been made accused in a counter-case lodged at the instance of Chinmayanand on the allegations of extortion using obscene videos of him shot through spy cameras.

The student was also under custody until she was released on bail in December last year.

While allowing the bail application of Chinmayanand, Justice Rahul Chaturvedi of Allahabad HC observed that "both used each other". The SC is considering a petition filed challenging this bail order.