Key Points
- A Delhi court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, who is accused of sexually harassing at least 17 female students and massive financial fraud.
- The Delhi Police has frozen ₹8 crore held in 18 bank accounts and 28 fixed deposits linked to the self-styled godman’s trust.
- Chaitanyananda, who is also known as Dr. Parthasarathy, has been absconding for nearly two months, with police conducting a multi-state manhunt.
- Allegations include sending lewd messages to students, coercing them to his room, and threatening them with academic failure.
- He is also accused of creating a parallel trust to misappropriate over ₹20 crore and using the funds to buy luxury cars, including one with a forged UN diplomatic number plate.
New Delhi: In a major setback for the self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Friday rejected his anticipatory bail plea, paving the way for his potential arrest in a case involving serious allegations of sexual harassment and large-scale financial fraud. The 62-year-old, who ran the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in Vasant Vihar, has been on the run since the case came to light in August.
Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur dismissed the plea, stating that the gravity of the offenses and the need for custodial interrogation made granting pre-arrest bail inappropriate. The court noted that Chaitanyananda is absconding and that his interrogation is crucial to uncover the full extent of the alleged conspiracy.
Allegations of Sexual Exploitation
The case exploded into public view after at least 17 female students, many from economically weaker backgrounds, accused Chaitanyananda of sexual harassment. According to the FIR, his alleged modus operandi involved:
- Sending lewd and inappropriate messages via WhatsApp and SMS.
- Coercing students to visit his room, especially during foreign trips organized by the institute.
- Threatening to fail them, withhold academic documents, or have them suspended if they did not comply with his demands.
The complaints, which were first flagged to the institute’s parent body by an Indian Air Force officer, paint a picture of sustained mental and physical torture.
Web of Financial Deceit
Alongside the sexual abuse allegations, Chaitanyananda faces a separate investigation for massive financial irregularities, filed by the Sri Sharada Peetham of Sringeri, which originally ran the institute. The investigation has allegedly revealed:
- The creation of a parallel trust in 2010 to illegally divert institute revenues, with misappropriated funds estimated to be between ₹20 and ₹30 crore.
- The use of these funds to purchase high-end luxury vehicles, including a Volvo with a forged “39 UN 1” diplomatic number plate and a BMW.
- Falsely presenting himself as a UN representative and a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council to gain influence.
Manhunt and Police Action
With Chaitanyananda absconding, Delhi Police have launched a nationwide manhunt, conducting raids in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. A lookout circular (LOC) has been issued to prevent him from fleeing the country. Police have frozen ₹8 crore in various bank accounts and have seized CCTV footage and hard disks from the institute for forensic analysis. Investigators believe he has changed his appearance and ditched his electronic gadgets to evade capture, with his last known location traced to Mumbai.
