Prayagraj (The Hawk): The Allahabad High Court ordered the victim and the state government to submit their responses within four weeks after granting interim anticipatory bail to former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand in a rape case until the next date of hearing.
After listening to Senior Advocate Anoop Trivedi, the attorney for petitioner Swami Chinmayanand, Justice Samit Gopal issued the ruling on Monday.
He claimed that Swami Chinmayanand, a 75-year-old man, had been wrongfully accused of being involved in the incident. Chinmayanand has never been in trouble with the law. According to Trivedi, the former MP is a highly respected political and spiritual figure who also oversees a number of healthcare and educational organisations.
On behalf of the state government, Additional Advocate General MC Chaturvedi and Additional Government Advocate AK Sand opposed the bail motion.
At 2011, Chinamayanand is charged with raping the victim after holding her captive in his ashram.
(Inputs from Agencies)