A law student who accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader of sexual assault was arrested on Wednesday on charges of extortion, police said.
According to Naveen Arora, the police officer handling the case, the woman is accused of demanding around $700,000 from the lawmaker, namely Chinmayanand, and was “arrested from her residence and will be produced before a court”.
In August, the 23-year-old student accused BJP’s Chinmayanand, who is also the president of the college where she studies, of sexual assault, harassment and intimidation. She first shared the news of her alleged harassment in a video clip posted on social media last month.
The politician's lawyer has denied the allegations. The 72-year-old politician is a former minister from Uttar Pradesh and had previously faced rape charges in 2011. Those charges were later withdrawn in 2017.
Chinmayanand, who was arrested on September 20, has been shifted from a jail to a hospital in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, where he is receiving treatment for cardiac problems.
Earlier, the law student had said that the fabricated extortion case has been filed against her to weaken her case against the politician.
It merits mention here that many BJP leaders have been accused of sexual assault in the past as well. In August this year, lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar was sacked by the party after he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 2017.
In January 2018, two BJP lawmakers actively participated in rallies held by Hindu organisations in defence of the accused in the rape and murder of a minor inside a Hindu temple. The two ministers were kicked out by their party after a public uproar over the incident.
According to Naveen Arora, the police officer handling the case, the woman is accused of demanding around $700,000 from the lawmaker, namely Chinmayanand, and was “arrested from her residence and will be produced before a court”.
In August, the 23-year-old student accused BJP’s Chinmayanand, who is also the president of the college where she studies, of sexual assault, harassment and intimidation. She first shared the news of her alleged harassment in a video clip posted on social media last month.
The politician's lawyer has denied the allegations. The 72-year-old politician is a former minister from Uttar Pradesh and had previously faced rape charges in 2011. Those charges were later withdrawn in 2017.
Chinmayanand, who was arrested on September 20, has been shifted from a jail to a hospital in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, where he is receiving treatment for cardiac problems.
Earlier, the law student had said that the fabricated extortion case has been filed against her to weaken her case against the politician.
It merits mention here that many BJP leaders have been accused of sexual assault in the past as well. In August this year, lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar was sacked by the party after he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 2017.
In January 2018, two BJP lawmakers actively participated in rallies held by Hindu organisations in defence of the accused in the rape and murder of a minor inside a Hindu temple. The two ministers were kicked out by their party after a public uproar over the incident.