Chinmayananda: Police dilutes charge, victim cries foul

The law student, who accused former union minister and senior BJP leader Swami Chinmayananda of raping her, cried foul as the special investigation team (SIT), which is probing the matter, diluted the case and charged the seer with ''sexual intercourse not amounting to rape''.

According to the sources, Chinmayananda has been charged under section 376C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), that deals with ''abuse of position or fiduciary relationship to induce or seduce any woman either in his custody or under his charge or present in the premises to have sexual intercourse with him, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape''.

The offender could be punished with rigorous imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than five years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

A conviction in an offence of rape invited more rigorous punishment.

''It is shocking that Chinmayananda has not been charged with rape....I had clearly told the SIT that he had repeatedly raped me...he must be booked for rape,'' the victim said.

She also alleged that efforts were on to ''weaken'' the case by falsely implicating her and her three friends in a case of extortion. ''It is a conspiracy to weaken the case against the Swami,'' she said.

Three others, including a ''friend'' of the victim, were also arrested on charges of trying to extort money from the seer by threatening to make his 'sex videos' public.