Self-styled godman booked for ‘sexually harassing’ 17 students at Delhi institute; lookout circular issued

New Delhi, Sep 24: A self-styled godman and “chairman” of a private management institute in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj has been booked for sexually harassing 17 students of the institute run by the Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka’s Sringeri.

According to police, 62-year-old Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati alias Swami Parthasarathy, a ‘sanchalak’ at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management, would allegedly target students who had gained admission under the EWS quota and threaten to fail them in exams. He would also lure them by promising foreign trips, police said.

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 cognizance of the matter.

A senior police officer said that the accused claimed to be chairman of the institute, adding that all victims have recorded statements before a magistrate.

Meanwhile, the Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka’s Sringeri, with which Saraswati was associated, has issued a public statement distancing itself from him.

Police said they have also found in the institute’s basement a Volvo car with a forged diplomatic number plate — 39 UN 1 — used by Saraswati.

“We have registered two different cases on August 25 — one for sexual harassment and another for the forged number plate. Our teams are searching for him and we are connecting all the important leads,” the officer said.

The case 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 into 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.

In the ‘about the author’ section of an e-commerce site, Saraswati is described as an “eminent professor, noted author, orator, educationist, spiritual philosopher and philanthropist, and an eminent personality of management academia in India and abroad”.

This is not the first time Saraswati has faced such allegations. Police sources said a case of fraud and molestation was lodged against him at Defence Colony police station in 2009, while another molestation complaint was filed at 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 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 said.

Meanwhile, the Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka’s Sringeri has distanced itself from Saraswati.

“The 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 said.

It further said that the peetham has also lodged complaints with the relevant authorities regarding the “illegal acts” committed by Saraswati.

The statement added that the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has approved the running of Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research in the name of the Peetham from Plot No. 7, Institutional Area, Phase II, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

“The 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 said.

Police 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.

A source claimed that his last location was traced in Agra, and teams are conducting raids.

“Teams have been conducting raids at his known hideouts in Delhi and neighbouring states, including Agra, where his last location was found,” said the source.

The police sources also said that during investigation they got to know about tempering with CCTV cameras and added that the digital video recorder (DVR) has been sent for forensic examination.

The investigators said statements from students, faculty members, and staff are being cross-verified, while digital evidence, including messages and call records, has been collected as part of the probe.

“The allegations are serious, involving multiple victims, and we are pursuing the case with priority,” said the police officer quoted above.

During the investigation, CCTV camera footage was analysed, and several raids were conducted at multiple residential addresses linked to the accused.

Police sources said hard disks and Network Video Recorders (NVRs) collected from the institute were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.

Police sources revealed that while the accused was last traced to Agra, the accused 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.

Sources in the investigating team said that digital evidence, including chats and SMS records, has already been secured. These will be crucial in corroborating the testimonies of the victims, they said.

Police also suspect that Saraswati maintained strong connections across states, which likely helped him remain out of reach despite repeated raids.–(PTI)