Yogi Adityanath visited Swami Chinmayananda's ashram in February this year
After Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the
withdrawal of a rape case against former union minister Swami Chinmayananda, the rape survivor has appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind, UP governor Ram Naik and Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra for justice.
"This decision by the chief minister is completely wrong. Instead of supporting me, the government is supporting the accused. I am not even being allowed a fair trial. The accused is politically too powerful and I am too weak," the 39-year-old rape survivor told NDTV.
The rape case against Chinmayananda was filed at a police station in Shahjahanpur in 2011 and police had filed a chargesheet against him in 2012. However, the three-time lawmaker managed to get a stay on his arrest from the Allahabad high court.
The next hearing in the case is set to take place on May 15 in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Shahjahanpur.
On February 25, Yogi Adityanath had visited Chinmayananda's ashram in Shahjahanpur to inaugurate the Mumuksh Yuva Mahotsav. This is the meeting where he is said to have requested the Chief Minister to withdraw the case.
Yogi Adityanath had visited Chinmayananda's ashram to inaugurate the Mumuksh Yuva Mahotsav
The Chief Minister then directed the Law department to issue an order for withdrawal of the rape case. Acting on the order dated March 6, Additional District Magistrate (Administration) Jitendra Sharma issued a letter on March 9, directing the public prosecutor to file an application in the court under Section 321 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, to withdraw the case.
"I have no hope with the UP administration so I appealed to the Chief Justice of India. The government needs to stop interfering in the matter," the woman said.
She used to be a disciple of Chinmayananda at his ashram between 2000 and 2011. It is during this time that she alleges he raped her.
"I suffered for 11 years but could not speak out because he would give me death threats and keep me under constant surveillance. Several other girls also went through the torture but could never speak out as he got them married off to his own employees. I got out as I managed to get help from an outsider who later married me," she said.