Chinmayanand case: SIT recovers victim's handbag

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sexual assault case against former Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand has recovered the victim's handbag and a few books.

The handbag of the victim, who is a law student, was found in a drain near Chinmayanand's ashram here.

The SIT has been searching for the spy camera-fitted spectacles of the victim which she had used to record evidence of sexual exploitation by the 72-year-old accused.

It had deployed labourers to search for the articles in the drain, after detailed interrogation of the victim's parents on Friday.

A senior police official said: "We were asked to support the SIT who informed us that they were searching for the bag and the spectacles in the drain just opposite UCO Bank. The SIT is aggressively investigating this case as they want to file a chargesheet before hearing of the law student's bail plea on November 6.

"We cannot share the details about the person who provided us information about the recovered items. We are yet to find the spy camera-fitted spectacles, which is an important evidence in this case."

Chinmayanand has been booked under section 376 (C) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which is usually applied in cases where a person abuses his position to "induce or seduce" a woman under his charge to have "sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape".

He also faces charges under IPC sections 354D (stalking), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The Allahabad High Court had on October 30 fixed November 8 to hear the bail plea of Chinmayanand who has been arrested in the case.

The court had asked the prosecution to file its reply to the bail plea by November 4 and the defence counsel to file his counter reply by November 7.