Chaitanyananda Saraswati, 62, who faces accusations of sexually harassing 17 female students at a private institute in New Delhi, was produced before a Delhi court on Sunday. The police seeked a five-day custody period for further investigation. The accused was arrested from a hotel in Agra, where he was found hiding after evading authorities for days.
Chaitanyanand Saraswati’s arrest
A Delhi Police team traced and apprehended Saraswati early Sunday morning from Agra. The accused, a former chairman of a management institute in southwest Delhi, allegedly harassed students by forcing late-night visits to his quarters and sending inappropriate messages. He is also accused of tracking students’ movements via his phone.
Items recovered and Saraswati's 'Modus Operandi'
Authorities have frozen Rs 8 crore linked to Saraswati, distributed across multiple bank accounts and fixed deposits. Investigators found that Saraswati operated several bank accounts under false names and details, withdrawing over Rs 50 lakh after the FIR was filed against him. Fake visiting cards portraying him as an official connected to the United Nations and BRICS were also recovered during his arrest.
Police seized three mobile phones and an iPad from him. It was revealed that Saraswati moved between hotels in Mathura, Vrindavan, and Agra to avoid arrest. He allegedly misused the Prime Minister’s Office name to maintain influence, arranging calls through associates to convince people of his connections.
DCP South-West Amit Goel stated, “We had formed a team and for the last three days we were carrying out searches in various states Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, and even West Bengal to look for Chaitanyananda Saraswati. We received success last night when we were able to nab him in Agra. Further investigation will follow. We have recovered three phones and one iPad, which will be investigated. Fake visiting cards have also been recovered which showed him as an official of the Government of India representing BRICS and the UN... He was changing his location every day to evade arrest.”
Court rejects anticipatory bail
Earlier, the Patiala House Court rejected Saraswati’s plea for anticipatory bail in a case involving alleged large-scale financial irregularities linked to the Sringeri Sharada Peetham and its educational wing, Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research (SIIMR). Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeep Kaur noted, “Custodial interrogation was crucial to uncover the full scope of the alleged conspiracy.”
She added that granting bail at this early stage could hinder evidence recovery and risk witness intimidation. The court referred to Supreme Court precedents to emphasize that anticipatory bail should not be misused to obstruct investigations.
