A 23-year-old law student who has accused Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chinmayanand of raping and sexually harassing for more than a year has claimed that she possesses about 35 videos that will implicate him, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. The woman from Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district told the newspaper that she used to wear glasses with a hidden camera when she used to be called to the former BJP MP’s residence to give him “a massage”.

“After searching through pens, bracelets and pendants on the Internet with hidden cameras, I decided to go in for the spectacles,” said the complainant. “I was not allowed to take in mobile phones, and I thought if I wore the spectacles no one would suspect anything.” However, the law student said the spectacles, which she had purchased earlier this year, were stolen from her hostel room. Chinmayanand is the president of the college administration.

The 23-year-old alleged Chinmayanand’s men used to keep a constant watch on her, and refused to allow her to interact with classmates. The woman alleged that apart from her an undergraduate law student and a male teacher used to be periodically called to the BJP leader’s residence for massages.

The law student claimed she came to know about the BJP leader only after 2018, when the deadline for a masters course had passed and the principal asked her to meet the college chairperson. She was given a seat but was soon coaxed into joining the college library for work. She reluctantly agreed to it.

The woman said she had to move into the hostel due to long working hours, but later realised it did not have a warden. “It was there that the first video of mine was made, I do not know how, while I was taking a bath, in October last year,” she said. “I was then blackmailed to visit Chinmayanand at his residence, where I was raped and another video of mine was made. With a threat to make these videos public, I was harassed for about a year till I decided that I had had enough.”

The BJP leader’s men allegedly used to escort her to his home and the entire college knew what was happening, the woman said. No one spoke up or helped her, the law student added.

The woman said she ran away once she decided she had sufficient proof against the BJP leader. The Special Investigation Team has asked her to submit the proof of purchase of the glasses.

The student’s father also claimed on Saturday that more than 30 clips implicating Chinmayanand were handed over to the police, and added she had more evidence at other places.

The complainant claimed that more “important evidence” had been removed from the BJP leader’s room. “The paint and other things have been changed and it now has a new look,” PTI quoted her as saying. “Important evidence has been removed from there but two oil bowls used during massage.”

The complainant said she knew no one would register a first information report based on her allegations. “So, I uploaded my video talking about how my life and that of other girls was destroyed on Facebook, and kept moving from one state to another,” she said. The woman said her life might have been destroyed but she would ensure no one else has to go through this.

Meanwhile, Chinmayanand’s lawyer claimed that he was cooperating with investigators and might have to appear for questioning again. The BJP MP was interrogated for around seven hours on Thursday night.

The law student went missing soon after posting on August 24 the video detailing her ordeal. Although she did not name anyone, her father named Chinmayanand in a missing-person complaint.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on August 27 booked Chinmayanand on kidnapping charges. She was found in Rajasthan on August 30, and produced in Supreme Court.

Now, follow and debate the day’s most significant stories on Scroll Exchange.