The Delhi High Court today asked city police not to take any coercive steps, including arrest, against a man, who along with former 'Bigg Boss' contestant Swami Om, is accused of molesting and threatening a woman.
"No coercive steps against the petitioner (be taken), including his arrest," Justice Mukta Gupta said, noting that the relief is being granted subject to the petitioner joining the investigation in the case.
The court also issued notice to Delhi police and sought its response on the plea by accused Swami Santosh Anand, who sought anticipatorty bail and protection from arrest.
The next date of hearing the case is May 9.
The trial court on February 19 had denied him the relief, saying the allegations against him were grave.
It had also rejected Swami Om's anticipatory bail plea on the ground that the allegations were grave and he could hamper the investigation.
During hearing before the trial court, the investigating officer had said that the woman had recorded her statement before a magistrate in which she fully supported the allegations made in the FIR.
As per the FIR lodged at the IP Estate police station here, the woman was allegedly wrongfully restrained by Swami Om and Anand when she was going home. They hurled abuses at her and committed objectionable acts, it has alleged.
When the complainant requested them to leave her, they dragged her to their room and attempted to rape her, the FIR has said.
They also threatened her that they will not spare her and that they had already ruined her husband's life, it has said.
The counsel, 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.
The FIR was just a "counterblast", the counsel had said.
The woman had alleged that Swami Om and his associate had ripped off her clothes on February 7.
She has claimed that the duo had also attacked her and ripped off her clothes in an attempt to humiliate her in full public view earlier in Rajghat area here.
No arrest has been made in the case.
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