BJP’s senior leader arrested over rape charge

A former government minister and senior member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was arrested in connection with rape and sexual harassment allegations made by a law student.

LUCKNOW:

Swami Chinmayanand, who served as BJP’s federal minister of state for internal affairs, has been charged under a section of the Indian penal code that covers sex crimes by a person in authority.

“We have enough evidence and confession from the accused to frame charges,” Naveen Arora, police officers investigating the case told a news conference.

The director general of police in Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, OP Singh, also confirmed Chinmayanand’s arrest but declined to comment on the nature of the charges.

Pooja Singh lawyer of BJP leader said he had been prevented by police from seeing Chinmayanand. Om Singh, another  lawyer for Chinmayanand, said he had also been unable to meet his client and give no comment  when asked for a response to the charges.