Key Points
- Arrest of Accused: Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, former chairman of a Delhi management institute, was arrested in Agra after a 50-day manhunt.
- Serious Allegations: He is accused of sexually harassing at least 17 female students, many from economically weaker sections. Allegations include sending lewd messages, unwanted physical contact, and late-night summons.
- Financial Fraud: The case also involves significant financial irregularities, including allegations of a Rs 20 crore fraud, with police freezing accounts holding over Rs 8 crore.
- Prior Cases: This is not the first time Saraswati has faced such charges; he was previously booked for molestation in 2009 and 2016.
New Delhi: Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, also known as Partha Sarathy, had been absconding since an FIR was filed against him on August 4, 2025. Delhi Police conducted numerous raids based on his last known location, ultimately tracing him to Agra where he was detained late at night. Following his arrest, police are conducting an extensive interrogation and a medical examination. His anticipatory bail plea in a related cheating and forgery case was rejected by a Delhi court, which stated that custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the full extent of the fraud.
Horrifying Revelations Surface
The scandal came to public attention after the institute’s management, prompted by a complaint from an alumnus and an email from a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, held a virtual meeting with over 30 female students. During this meeting, numerous students courageously shared harrowing accounts of sexual harassment, molestation, and intimidation by Saraswati.
The students, many of whom were admitted under a scholarship program for economically weaker sections, alleged that Saraswati would force them to visit his quarters late at night. He allegedly sent lewd text messages and threatened to fail them in exams or withhold their degrees if they resisted his advances. To exert control, he reportedly confiscated students’ mobile phones and academic certificates, isolating them and preventing them from reporting the abuse.
A Web of Deceit and Power
The investigation has uncovered a sprawling case involving not only sexual abuse but also significant financial misconduct. Saraswati is accused of misappropriating funds amounting to Rs 20 crore from a trust worth over Rs 122 crore. Authorities have frozen more than Rs 8 crore held in 18 bank accounts and 28 fixed deposits linked to him. He also allegedly used a luxury car with a fake United Nations diplomatic number plate.
It was revealed that Saraswati had a history of similar offenses, with molestation cases filed against him in 2009 and 2016. The current FIR was lodged on August 5 by the administrator of the Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, the religious organization that owns the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in Vasant Kunj. The organization has since severed all ties with Saraswati, citing his illegal and inappropriate activities.
Police are now investigating the network of loyalists Saraswati allegedly placed in key positions within the institute to support his misdeeds and silence victims. The arrest is seen as a major step toward justice for the students who suffered under his influence. The National Commission for Women (NCW) had also taken suo motu cognizance of the case, directing the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure his immediate arrest.
