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A 21-year-old student alleged that Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati sent her inappropriate messages commenting on her looks and pressuring her to reply.
Chaitanyananda Saraswati/Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management (Photos: News18/PTI)
Amid the ongoing investigations into the molestation case at a private management institute in Delhi, a 21-year-old scholarship student recalled how the accused, 62-year-old Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati alias Swami Parthasarathy, sent her objectionable text messages, commenting on her looks.
According to The Indian Express, the student, in the First Information Report (FIR), mentioned that she first interacted with the self-styled godman and chairman of the institute last year, when he was the chancellor there.
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In her complaint, the woman alleged that Chaitanyananda looked at her “weirdly” during their first meeting. She mentioned that she texted him to share her medical reports after she had sustained some injuries, to which the accused responded during the odd hours.
“Baby, I love you. I adore you, you are looking beautiful today,” one of his messages read, the woman alleged, adding that he also complimented her over her hair.
Further, the woman alleged the accused tagged his earlier text in a separate message, urging her to reply.
When she informed about the same to the associate dean, she was told that she should reply, and that the same had also been cascaded to other female students, the woman alleged.
DELHI ASHRAM MOLESTATION CASE: FIR DETAILS ACCESSED
According to the FIR, accessed by CNN-News18, Chaitanyananda sexually harassed and traumatised female students, specifically those from economically weaker sections, at the institute.
Many of the students were also forced to accompany him on foreign trips, where they were asked to visit his room during late hours, the FIR claimed.
Students who turned down his requests were threatened with holding back their degrees and documents.
The FIR also named the dean associate, identified as Shweta, and two others, naming them as accomplices, and mentioned that the students were also threatened with suspensions and rustications.
One of the students was also forced to change her name against her wishes, the FIR stated.
THE DELHI ASHRAM MOLESTATION CASE
A self-styled godman and “chairman” of a private management institute in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj was booked for sexually harassing 17 students of the institute run by the Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka’s Sringeri.
According to the police, Chaitanyananda is a ‘sanchalak‘ at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management. He allegedly targeted students who had gained admission under the EWS quota and threatened to fail them in exams. He would also lure them by promising foreign trips.
Police have formed multiple teams to nab him and also issued a lookout circular to prevent him from fleeing the country.
The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter.
A case against the accused was registered under sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Vasant Kunj North police station.
Saraswati was also aided by three women wardens who would coerce students to give in to his demands and also pressure students into deleting the messages sent by him. They have been named as co-accused in the FIR.
The accused has authored 28 books, which carry forewords and reviews by prominent personalities.
This is not the first time Saraswati has faced such allegations. News agency PTI quoted sources as saying that 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 2016.
During 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 advances and they recorded their statements in front of a magistrate.
Police seized a Volvo car belonging to the accused, bearing a diplomatic number plate and lodged a second FIR against him on August 25. The first one was filed on August 4. The accused has been evading arrest ever since.
During the investigation, CCTV camera footage was analysed, and several raids were conducted at multiple residential addresses linked to the accused.
Police sources told PTI that hard disks and Network Video Recorders (NVRs) collected from the institute were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.
They revealed that while the accused was last traced to Agra, he has been changing his locations frequently to avoid arrest. He is also avoiding using mobile phones to prevent tracking.
Hailing from Odisha, Saraswati had been living in the institute in Delhi for the last 12 years, where he served as a caretaker.
ALSO READ | Delhi Ashram Horror: Accused Sought Sexual Favours In His Room, Erased Chats, Probe Reveals
About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
September 25, 2025, 10:40 IST
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