Plea Seeking Transfer Of Sexual Abuse Case Against Chinmayanand From UP to Delhi: Justice Banumathi Recuses From Hearing

Supreme Court Judge Justice Banumathi has recused from hearing the petition challenging the order of Allahabad High Court granting Bail to Swamy Chinmayanand in the sexual abuse case and seeking the transfer of trial of from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

On Friday the Court agreed to hear the matter on Monday.

Today the matter was listed before the bench of Justices Banumathi and AS Bopanna.

On Friday 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.