Chinmayanand case: HC seeks govt's reply to woman law student's bail plea

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday sought the state government's stand on the bail plea of a woman law student accused of trying to extort Rs 5 crore from BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand, who too has been arrested on charges of sexually exploiting her.

A bench of Justice Manju Rani Chauhan sought the state prosecution's stand on the woman's bail plea by November 29, the next date of the hearing.

The bench adjourned the hearing as the prosecution had failed to file its reply to the plea earlier.

Accordingly, Justice Chauhan deferred the hearing to November 29, giving one week to the prosecution to file its reply and one week to the extortion case accused to respond to it.

The alleged extortion bid victim Chinmayanand, however, on Wednesday submitted to the court his objections to the woman's bail plea.

A Special Investigation Team of the Uttar Pradesh police, probing into the alleged sexual exploitation of the woman law student by the BJP leader and former Union minister, had also booked the woman on charges of trying to extort money from her alleged tormentor.

She along with her three male friends had allegedly demanded the money from Chinmayanad, threatening him that they would release an objectionable video if he failed to pay them up.

The woman's counsel has argued in the court his client is a victim of sexual harassment and all allegations against her are fabricated.

The bail application was opposed by counsel of state government and Swami Chinmayanand on the ground that she is the main accused and there is sufficient evidence to prove her extortion bid.