Ex-Bigg Boss contestant's friend denied bail in molestation

New Delhi: A Delhi court has denied anticipatory bail to a man, who along with former 'Bigg Boss' contestant Swami Om is accused of molesting and threatening a woman, saying the allegations against him are grave.

Special Judge Hemani Malhotra said since the investigation is at a nascent stage, Swami Santosh Anand cannot be granted bail.

"In view of the fact that the investigation is at a nascent stage and that the allegations against the accused are grave in nature, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the applicant," the judge said.

During the hearing, the investigating officer informed the court that the woman has recorded her statement before a magistrate in which she has fully supported the allegations made in the FIR.

"The statement also reflects that the accused/applicant and his associate (Swami Om) had torn the salwar kameez of the complainant while molesting her," the court noted.

As per the FIR lodged at IP Estate police station, the woman was allegedly wrongfully restrained by Swami Om and Anand when she was going home and they started abusing her in unparliamentary language and committed objectionable acts.

When the complainant requested them to leave her, they dragged her in their room and attempted to rape her, the FIR said. They also threatened her that they will not spare her and that they had already ruined her husband's life, it said.

Advocate Rajesh Kumar, who represented Anand, had sought bail on the ground that he has been falsely implicated as a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was lodged against the woman's husband at his behest.

He had claimed to be the president of Yoga Shakti Sadhna Kendra which has held various yoga workshops abroad.

The bail plea, however, was opposed by prosecutor Atul Shrivastava who had said the allegations against the man were serious and he could tamper with the evidence.

The woman had said in her complaint that Swami Om and his associate Anand had allegedly ripped off her clothes on February 7. The victim alleged that the duo attacked her and ripped off her clothes in an attempt to humiliate her in full public view a few days earlier in Rajghat area here.