Prayagraj, Dec 22 (IANS): The Allahabad high court has granted interim anticipatory bail till the next hearing to former Union Minister and BJP leader, Swami Chinmayanand, in a rape case.

Chinmayanand was accused of allegedly raping a college student by taking her hostage in his ashram in 2011.

The court has fixed February 6, 2023, as the next date of hearing in the case, in which Chinmayanand has been accused of allegedly raping a college student.

The high court directed the victim and the Uttar Pradesh government to file a reply in this case within four weeks.

Justice Samit Gopal pronounced the order after hearing the counsel for Chinmayanand.

The petitioner took the plea that he is a 75-year-old man and does not have any criminal history. Besides, he is running many medical and educational institutions and is a person of high political and spiritual value.

Even before this petition, the court had stayed the arrest of the petitioner in writ proceedings.

Additional Advocate General M.C. Chaturvedi and Additional Government Advocate A.K. Sand opposed the bail application on behalf of the state government.

Chinmayanand was accused of allegedly raping a college student by taking her hostage in his ashram in 2011.

The victim and her family lodged an FIR under sections 307, 313, 342, 323, 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code at the Shahjahanpur Kotwali police station.

Later, a charge-sheet was filed under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

On March 9, 2018, the state government had issued an order withdrawing the case of misconduct lodged against Chinmayanand.

An application in this regard was filed in a Shahjahanpur court but the court rejected it.