JOIN USProduce missing LLM student, SC tells UP govt
The Supreme Court on Friday decided to interact with an LLM student from Uttar Pradesh, who was traced in Rajasthan, days after she went missing having made allegations of sexual harassment against a former Union Minister and BJP leader.
A bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna directed the UP police, who were taking her to Shahjahanpur to re-route their travel plan and bring the girl to the top court.
The UP government counsel told the court she, along with a man, had been traced from Rajasthan and had reached Fatehpur Sikri, Agra.
The court then ordered for bringing the girl along with the team accompanying her to the apex court. The bench also decided to interact with her to ascertain the facts of the matter.
During the hearing, advocate Shobha, who led the woman lawyers in the Suo Motu matter, said the missing student has been found in Rajasthan as per news channel reports.
"Let there be a direction to the police to produce her and her statement be recorded here only," she said.
"We are worried about her well being. Let her face the camera. We are fearing Unnao repetition," she said.
The lawyer said the girl in a Facebook post alleged Swami Chinmayanand, who is president of an Ashram, has ruined lives of several girls.
The UP government counsel submitted that the girl can't be brought on camera, as that would be a violation of the top court's order. She said it would take two and a half hours to bring her to the court here.
The girl, in a video message on social media, had on August 24, claimed she had proof which could land Chinmayanand in trouble. She said she and her family faced threats from the BJP leader.
However, Chinmayanan had told the police that he was being blackmailed. He said he had received a call demanding Rs five crore.
The UP police had registered an FIR against the leader, after the social media post became viral. The police had subsequently found that the girl had made a call to her mother from Delhi.