The number of godmen implicated in criminal offences is on a rapid rise. Former BJP Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand is the latest in the list of so-called godmen to attain notoriety. Like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chinmayanand is a also politician and godman rolled into one. He has been accused of rape by a law student.
Being a BJP veteran, and wielding immense political clout, Chinmayanand evaded arrest for very long even though the victim had clearly mentioned his name in her complaint. Moreover, a few explicit videos of (a naked) Chinmayanand getting massages from the girl are doing the rounds on social media.
When he was finally arrested a few days ago, rape was not invoked in the FIR against him. After being sent to 14 days in judicial custody, Chinmayanand is currently getting VIP treatment for “cardiac problems” in one of Lucknow’s top hospitals. The BJP veteran filed a counter case for extortion against the 23-year-old law student in response and she was arrested on September 25 from UP’s Shahjahanpur.