A former Indian federal minister from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been arrested in connection with allegations of sexual abuse.
Swami Chinmayanand, 73, has been charged with “misusing authority” for sex – a lesser offence than rape – as well as stalking, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.
He denies all of the charges.
The woman, who was a student at one of several colleges run by him, alleges that the abuse lasted for months.
The woman said she first met Mr Chinmayanand in June last year when she enrolled at a law college run by him. She alleged that he showed her a video of her bathing and blackmailed her to have sex with him.
She posted a video on Facebook on 24 August detailing the alleged abuse. Than, she filed a case in early September and authorities had faced criticism over the pace of the investigation.
If found guilty, Mr Chinmayanand, a former lawmaker from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, faces up to 10 years in jail.
He had served as a minister in the BJP government under former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
