Self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, also known as Dr. Parthasarthy and the “chairman” of a private management institute in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, has been booked by police following shocking complaints of sexual harassment. The official First Information Report (FIR) names Saraswati for sexually harassing over 17 students at the institute, which is affiliated with the Sri Sharada Peetham.
The majority of the victims were female students pursuing postgraduate management diplomas under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scholarships, making them particularly vulnerable.
An Email That Blew the Lid Off the Scandal
The widespread abuse was brought into the light following a letter and a critical email. First, a former student wrote to the institute’s administration alleging that Saraswati had been molesting and sexually harassing women students.
Crucially, just days later, an email was received from an officer with the rank of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force. The IAF officer informed the administration that they had received multiple complaints from women students detailing the abuse, including Saraswati sending them inappropriate WhatsApp messages at odd hours. This email, alongside the student’s letter, prompted the institute’s governing council to take action and file a complaint.
Details of the Harassment and Legal Action
During the subsequent police investigation, the statements of 32 female students were recorded. Of this group, 17 students provided magistrate-recorded statements alleging that Saraswati used abusive language, sent obscene messages, and made unwanted physical advances.
The FIR was lodged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to sexual harassment, insulting the modesty of a woman, and criminal intimidation. The police also uncovered other irregularities at the institute, including a Volvo car found in the basement bearing a forged diplomatic number plate.
Staff Named and the Search for the Accused
The police investigation widened to include three women staff members, including the associate dean, who are accused of pressuring students to submit to Saraswati’s advances and actively ignoring the complaints raised against him.
Saraswati, who had authored 28 books and presented himself as an “eminent professor, noted author, orator, educationist, spiritual philosopher,” is currently evading arrest. The police have launched a search for the accused.
Notably, this is not the first time Saraswati has faced such allegations; police sources confirmed that similar complaints of fraud and molestation were lodged against him in 2009 and 2016. Meanwhile, the parent religious organization, the Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham in Sringeri, has issued a public statement officially distancing itself from the self-styled godman.