Accused Swami Chaitanyananda
NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old student from Delhi has lodged detailed allegations of persistent sexual harassment against Chaitanyananda Saraswati, the director of the institute. According to the FIR, the student first interacted with Chaitanyananda last year and immediately felt uncomfortable.Also Read | Delhi molestation case: How female staff abetted, pressured 32 students to comply with ‘godman’ Swami Chaitanyananda “He initially looked at me weirdly and demotivated me,” she said.After sustaining an injury, the student said she was asked to share her medical reports. Soon after, Chaitanyananda began sending inappropriate WhatsApp messages at odd hours, including comments such as, “Baby, I love you. I adore you, you are looking beautiful today,” and remarks about her hair.
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Chaitanyananda Saraswati, a self-proclaimed spiritual leader, is on the run after the allegations came to light. He was initially known as Swami Parthasarathy alias Swami Dr Parthasarathy and has been associated with the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management for nearly 12 years.Also Read | Tracing Swami Chaitanyananda: Who is accused director behind molestation of over 15 students in Delhi institute The FIR adds to an ongoing list of controversies surrounding Saraswati. He now faces five cases, including allegations of sexual harassment, fraud, and forgery. In 2009, he was booked in a case of fraud and harassment at Defence Colony police station. In 2016, a student filed a molestation complaint against him at Vasant Kunj police station, leading to his arrest by Delhi Police. He was chargesheeted and later released on bail but continued to work at the institute despite the pending case. This year, three more cases have been registered — one in which 17 girls alleged sexual harassment, another involving the use of a fake number plate, and a complaint for allegedly cheating a monastic trust. According to police sources, Saraswati often targeted girls from economically weaker backgrounds. Investigators said he allegedly sent messages such as, “Come to my room. I’ll take you abroad, no cost,” and threatened, “if you don’t obey me, I will fail you” if they refused to comply. A senior police officer said they are probing the allegations. Survivors also claimed Saraswati forced them to delete incriminating chats from their phones. Police said the devices have been sent for forensic analysis to recover deleted data.
