NCW writes to UP DGP to expeditiously probe allegations of harassment against Chinmayanand

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh Police, asking it to expeditiously investigate the allegations of harassment levelled by a student against former Union minister and BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand before she went missing, and submit a report.

The commission, which has taken a serious note of the incident, has also urged the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) to ensure the safety of the girl and her family.

The Shahjahanpur police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against Chinmayanand after the postgraduate student went missing following her allegations made in a purported video clip that he had been harassing her.

Her father had filed a complaint with the police accusing Chinmayanand of sexually harassing her, a charge refuted by the BJP leader's lawyer who claimed it was a "conspiracy" to blackmail him.

"Considering the gravity of the matter, the commission is taking suo motu cognizance of this case and issued a notice to the DGP Uttar Pradesh to investigate this matter and send a detailed report to the commission. The commission had urged the DGP to ensure the safety of the girl and her family and also make sure that the investigation is done very quickly," the NCW said in a statement.

The commission condemned the incident and expressed concern over the rise in crime targeted against women despite the enactment of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013.

The panel said it is committed to ensure the safety and security of women and will not tolerate any incident wherein the security of a woman is on threat and her life is in danger.

The 72-year-old BJP leader has been booked under IPC sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation), Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police S Chanappa had said.

In the video clip posted online, the woman said she was under threat from the leader of the sant community, without naming Chinmayanand or specifying the kind of harassment she allegedly faced.