Delhi ‘godman’ Swami Chaitanyananda accused of molesting 17 female students arrested from Agra | Delhi News
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have arrested self-styled ‘godman’ Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, accused of sexually harassing 17 women students and running a web of financial fraud. He was traced to Agra after weeks on the run. Police allege the 62-year-old former chairman of a Delhi management institute exploited students from economically weaker sections (EWS) by confiscating their mobile phones and academic certificates, leaving them unable to complain. “He marked students first and asked them to deposit their phones so they could ‘focus on studies’,” a friend of one of the victims told PTI. “This created a sense of fear, as every student’s career was locked there.”
Bail plea rejected
On Friday, a Delhi court dismissed Saraswati’s anticipatory bail plea in a case of cheating, forgery and conspiracy. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur said custodial interrogation was necessary to establish the “entire chain of fraud” and noted that the accused was not traceable. Court documents describe how Saraswati allegedly created a fraudulent trust to divert funds and properties belonging to Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research and a Sringeri-based religious body.
Financial irregularities
Investigators said Saraswati opened multiple bank accounts using different names and withdrew over ₹50 lakh after an FIR was filed against him in August. Police are examining the trail of transactions linked to the alleged misappropriation of funds.
Pattern of intimidation
Complainants told police that Saraswati and his aides threatened students with expulsion or failure if they resisted his advances. “Girls were frequently warned that their careers would be destroyed if they opposed him,” one victim’s friend alleged. The first complaint was lodged in March by a student under the EWS quota, who said she was asked to pay an additional Rs 60,000 or work at the institute without salary. Later, an Indian Air Force officer reported that several women disclosed incidents of harassment during a virtual meeting. Police say further victims are now coming forward as the investigation expands.
