2 BJP leaders on SIT radar in Chinmayanand sexual assault case

Agencies
October 14, 2019

Shahjahanpur, Oct 14: Two BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh's Shajahanpur were now on the radar of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing sexual assault charges against former Union Minister Chinmayanand.

The two leaders are believed to have been in close contact with Sanjay Singh, one of the three main accused in the extortion case.

According to SIT sources, these leaders learnt of the video recordings through Vikram, another accused in the case.

They reportedly tried to obtain the video recordings from Sanjay and, perhaps, use it to further their political interest. They were even willing to pay money to obtain the videos.

"These leaders were in constant touch with the accused men and we are probing their role in detail. We have summoned them twice already," said an SIT official.

The two leaders were also present in the same hotel near Balaji temple in Dausa, Rajasthan, on August 30 - where the missing law student was found, a week after she levelled charges against Chinmayanand.

Two employees of the college where the alleged victim was studying are also being questioned by the SIT.

The law student had mentioned about the principal, secretary and warden of the college in her statement recorded under 164 CrPC and the SIT is probing their role in the sexual harassment case.

The special bench of the Allahabad High Court monitoring the case had expressed their satisfaction with the status report submitted by the SIT. The second status report would be submitted on October 22.

The SIT is probing two cases and had arrested Chinmayanand on September 20 under sections 376C (sexual intercourse by person in authority), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC on the basis of the complaint filed by victim who studies at the college run by his ashram.

The victim had submitted over 40 videos as evidence to the SIT. In the second case related to extortion charges, the SIT has also arrested the victim and her friends Sanjay, Vikram and Sachin for their alleged involvement.

The bail applications of all the five accused were cancelled by a lower court and they have moved to the high court for relief.

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News Network
August 3,2020

Indore, Aug 3: In a bizarre development, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to an accused in a sexual harassment case on the condition that he will request the victim to tie a ‘rakhi’ on him with a promise to protect her “to the best of his ability for all times to come”.

Justice Rohit Arya on July 30 also ordered the man to pay Rs 11,000 to the complainant as a “customary ritual usually offered by brothers to sisters” on Raksha Bandhan and seek her blessings while visiting her with his wife and a box of sweets. “The applicant shall also tender Rs 5,000 to the son of the complainant for purchase of clothes and sweets,” the order said.

The court directed the accused to take photographs and receipts of payment made to the victim and her son, which should be filed through his lawyer for placing on record of the case before the Registry.

The victim, a resident of Ujjain district, had alleged that her neighbour, Vikram Bagri, entered her house and sexually harassed her on April 20. The police registered a case under Sections 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 354 (A) (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The order said the man, in jail for more than two months, was released on bail, on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with “one solvent surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court, on the condition that he shall remain present before the court concerned during trial,” and comply with conditions under Section 437 (3) of CrPC, along with other conditions.

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News Network
January 13,2020

New Delhi, Jan 13: The Supreme Court on Monday commenced hearing on issues related to discrimination against women in various religions and at religious places including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.

A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said that it was not considering review pleas in the Sabarimala case.

“We are not hearing review pleas of Sabarimala case. We are considering issues referred to by a 5-judge bench earlier,” the bench said.

The apex court had on November 14 asked a larger bench to re-examine various religious issues, including the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple and mosques and the practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community.

While the five-judge bench unanimously agreed to refer religious issues to a larger bench, it gave a 3:2 split decision on petitions seeking a review of the apex court's September 2018 decision allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala.

A majority verdict by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices A M Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra decided to keep pending pleas seeking a review of its decision regarding entry of women into the shrine, and said restrictions on women in religious places was not restricted to Sabarimala alone and was prevalent in other religions as well.

The minority verdict by Justices R F Nariman and D Y Chandrachud gave a dissenting view by dismissing all review pleas and directing compliance of its September 28 decision.

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News Network
May 11,2020

Kolkata, May 11: Murshidabad district, one of the biggest contributors to the army of migrant workers from West Bengal, received news of unnatural deaths of three of these people since Saturday. While two died in Kerala, one was found dead in a rented house in Odisha.

Residents of Baliaghati village in Murshidabad’s Suti police station area said Safikul Sheikh (31) was killed in a road accident in Kerala. Sheikh’s associates called up his family on Sunday morning and said he had gone to a local market, violating lockdown orders, when the accident took place. Sheikh wanted to return home before Eid but got stranded.

Mohammad Hafijul, one of Sheikh’s relatives, said, “A few days ago a special train from Kerala carried migrant workers to Murshidabad but Safikul did not have the money to buy a ticket. We do not know how his body will be brought back.”

In another incident, a 24-year-old resident of Domkal allegedly hanged himself in Kerala on Saturday. He used to work in a brick kiln. His mother said, “My son was depressed as he could not buy a ticket to board the special train that came to Murshidabad. We have appealed to the local administration to bring back his body.”

In the third incident, Bakul Sheikh (24) died under mysterious circumstances at Sonepur in Odisha where he went five months ago to work as a mason. Sheikh hails from Kohetpur village in Shamserganj. His relatives told the local police that his associates called up and said he was found dead inside the toilet of the house where he was living with other migrant workers.

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