Former union minister Chinmayanand who is accused of raping a law student was arrested by a UP police special investigation team (SIT) on Friday (20 September) and sent to 14-day judicial custody, reported The Indian Express.

He was arrested from his residence in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and taken to district hospital for medical examination. He was later produced before the CJM court that ordered to send him to the judicial custody.

The BJP leader was arrested four days after the accuser, who is a student of Swami Shukdevanand Post Graduate College run by him in Shahjahanpur, gave her statement to a local court.

She, on Wednesday, had threatened of committing suicide if Chinmayanand was not booked with rape charges. Earlier this month, she had also registered a complaint with Delhi police accusing the BJP leader, which was later handed over to the SIT.

SIT chief Inspector General Naveen Arora had confirmed that SIT had taken her complaint filed with Delhi police into consideration.

He has been charged under IPC sections 376C, 342 (wrongful confinement), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Chinmayanand had been in a hospital for last two days after he complained of uneasiness and pain in the chest. The SIT, however, acted quickly after he returned to his ashram on Thursday evening, and arrested him.

Last week, the 72-year-old was questioned for over seven hours by SIT and was put under house arrest later. The team had also sealed his ashram after searching the premises for evidences.