Former Union minister Chinmayanand, accused of rape by a law student, was arrested on Friday, his counsel said.

The BJP leader was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh police from his residence, Divya Dham, here amid heavy security, lawyer Pooja Singh told PTI.

He was taken for medical examination to a government hospital and then to the court of chief judicial magistrate where he will be presented.

Singh said the SIT took signatures of Chinmayanand’s relatives on the arrest memo but no arrest-related documents were given to them.

Teams led by senior police officers have been deployed on the court premises and the hospital. A team of police officers is also patrolling the area to ensure there is no disturbance, a senior officer said.

The victim, who is a postgraduate student at one of the colleges run by Chinmayanand’s organisation, has alleged that she was raped and “physically exploited” for a year by the former Union minister. The student had earlier threatened self-immolation if the police do not arrest him.

The case is being investigated by the SIT set up by the Uttar Pradesh police on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Chinmayanand, who was admitted to the medical college here on Wednesday, was referred to King George’s Medical University in Lucknow. But he chose to return to his residence on Thursday and get ayurvedic treatment there, according to his counsel Om Singh.

Inspector-general Naveen Arora, who heads the SIT, said a mobile phone and a pen drive given by the student had been sent for forensic examination.

The pen drive contains 43 video clips which the student says support her allegations.

The police had registered a case of criminal intimidation and abduction against Chinmayanand on a complaint lodged by the woman’s father. Later, the student also accused him of rape and “physical exploitation”.