Self-styled godman booked for 'sexually harassing' students at Delhi institute

A selfstyled godman once associated with a reputed religious organisation is at the centre of a police investigation after several female students of a management institute here accused him of sexual harassmentThe accused Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati formerly known as Swami Parthasarathy has so far evaded arrest despite raids and surveillanceAccording to police the accused was a sanchalak management committee member at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in southwest Delhi Police also found in the institutes basement a Volvo car with a forged diplomatic number plate 39 UN 1 used by SaraswatiThis is not the first time he has faced such allegations Police sources said a case of fraud and molestation was lodged against him at the Defence Colony Police Station in 2009 while another molestation complaint was filed at the Vasant Kunj Police Station in 2016In the latest case the complaint was filed on August 4 at the Vasant Kunj North Police StationDuring the inquiry the statements of 32 female PGDM Post Graduate Diploma in Management students with EWS scholarships were recorded Of these 17 alleged that Saraswati used abusive language sent obscene messages and made unwanted physical advancesPolice said three women serving as faculty members and administrators at the institute allegedly abetted the accused by pressuring students to comply with his demandsTheir role is currently under investigation and the full extent of their involvement will be determined once Saraswati is apprehended an officer saidA case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita with 16 victims later deposing before a magistratePolice have seized the Volvo car bearing the diplomatic number and lodged a second FIR on August 25 The accused has been evading arrest ever since they saidMeanwhile the Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnatakas Sringeri with which Saraswati was earlier associated has issued a public statement distancing itself from himThe public is hereby informed that Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati formerly known as Swami Dr Parthasarathy has engaged in activities that are illegal inappropriate and detrimental to the interests of Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham Sringeri Peetham As a result the Peetham has severed all ties with him the statement saidIt further said that the peetham has also lodged complaints with the relevant authorities regarding the illegal acts committed by SaraswatiThe statement added that the All India Council for Technical Education AICTE has approved the running of Sri Sharadha Institute of Indian ManagementResearch in the name of the Peetham from Plot No 7 Institutional Area Phase II Vasant Kunj New DelhiThe Peetham administers the institution through a Governing Council chaired by Dr Krishna Venkatesh a respected educationist along with other distinguished individuals The Governing Council is actively taking steps to ensure the welfare of students and to prevent any disruption to the ongoing educational programmes it saidPolice said efforts are underway to trace Saraswati and multiple teams have been formed Sources also said that teams are keeping a strict vigil at airports to prevent him from fleeing the country Another source claimed that his last location was traced in Agra and teams are conducting raidsTeams have been conducting raids at his known hideouts in Delhi and neighbouring states including Agra where his last location was found said the sourceThe investigators said statements from students faculty members and staff are being crossverified while digital evidence including messages and call records has been collected as part of the probeThe allegations are serious involving multiple victims and we are pursuing the case with priority said the police officer adding that the accused however remains at largeAccording to the police statement the case was registered under sections 752 sexual harassment 79 word gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and 3512 criminal intimidation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS at Vasant Kunj North Police StationDuring the investigation CCTV camera footage was analysed and several raids were conducted at multiple residential addresses linked to the accusedPolice sources said hard disks and Network Video Recorders NVRs collected from the institute were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory FSL for examinationPolice sources revealed that while he was last traced to Agra the accused has been changing his locations frequently to avoid capture He is also avoiding using mobile phones to prevent trackingHailing from Odisha Saraswati had been living in an ashram in Delhi for the last 12 years where he served as both a caretaker and an operatorSources in the investigating team added that digital evidence including chats and SMS records has already been secured These will be crucial in corroborating the testimonies of the victims they saidPolice also suspect that Saraswati maintained strong connections across states which likely helped him remain out of reach despite repeated raids