Priyanka Gandhi alleged that UP police deliberately delayed action against the politician (file)
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the ruling BJP over the arrest of an Uttar Pradesh law student, who has accused former MP Chinmayanand of rape. She alleged that the state police deliberately delayed action against the politician and arrested him only after an uproar.
The 23-year-old woman, who has alleged that the former BJP MP sexually assaulted her for over a year, was on Wednesday arrested and charged with extortion, criminal intimidation and "disappearance of evidence". Her request for bail was denied by a court yesterday. Her fresh petition for bail will be heard on Monday.
Chinmayanand was arrested on Friday but is not in jail. He has claimed heart ailments and has been in hospital, "under observation", since Monday.
Police deliberately delayed action against the accused, and it was after public pressure that they arrested him, Ms Vadra tweeted in Hindi.
"Even the charge of rape has not been put on the accused BJP leader. This is BJP's justice?" she said.
Ms Vadra, the party's eastern UP in-charge, compared the case with the Unnao rape case against UP lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The Unnao survivor, who had alleged that Sengar raped her, is in hospital since July after a truck with blackened number plate rammed her car.
"Unnao rape case: Survivor's father is killed. Survivor's uncle is arrested. Following massive public pressure and after 13 months, the accused MLA is arrested. Attempt to kill the survivor's family. Shahjahanpur rape case: Survivor arrested. Survivor's family being pressured," she said in another tweet.
The woman alleges that Chinmayanand, who runs several ashrams and educational institutions, sexually exploited her after helping her with admission into his law college last year. He allegedly filmed her taking a bath at the hostel, blackmailed her with the video and raped her.
The case went public when the student vanished on August 24 after putting up a Facebook post without naming the politician.
The Supreme Court had issued orders to investigate the case and formed a special investigation team.
After the woman's arrest, the SIT team's chief claimed they have evidence that Rs 5 crore in extortion money was demanded from Chinmayanand.