After Chaitanyananda Saraswati was arrested in Agra, police said he had been continuously changing his appearance and hideouts, and that more than five teams were working to trace him.
DCP (Southwest) Amit Goel said he was finally caught in Agra late on Saturday and was being brought to Delhi.
Saraswati, the former chairman of the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research in Vasant Kunj, who had been absconding since August after multiple FIRs were lodged against him, faces allegations ranging from mass molestation of female students to financial irregularities involving a trust worth ₹122 crore.
Police said that during the investigation, CCTV footage was analysed and multiple raids were carried out at the institute where the incidents took place as well as at Saraswati’s known addresses. “NVRs and hard disks were collected from the Sri SIIM institute and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Statements of 16 victims were recorded before a magistrate at Patiala House Court,” Amit Goel said.
According to police, Saraswati had been continuously changing his appearance and hideouts, making it difficult to trace him. More than five teams were deployed in the search before he was finally caught in Agra late on Saturday. He is now being brought to Delhi, Goel added.
Earlier, police also froze ₹8 crore across 18 bank accounts and 28 fixed deposits belonging to him, and booked him for using nine fake diplomatic car number plates with “UN” markings.
Allegations against Chaitanyananda Saraswati
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, police also froze ₹8 crore across 18 bank accounts and 28 fixed deposits belonging to him, and booked him for using nine fake diplomatic car number plates with “UN” markings.
Allegations against Chaitanyananda Saraswati
{{/usCountry}}According to the FIR, the 62-year-old Saraswati allegedly forced female students to visit his quarters late at night and sent them inappropriate text messages at odd hours.
“The complainant alleged that the accused, who was heading the college, was sexually harassing female students pursuing PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) courses under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scholarship. During the enquiry with the students, statements of 32 female students were recorded, out of which 17 alleged that they had received obscene WhatsApp messages, faced abusive language from the accused, and experienced unwanted physical contact. The students also alleged that some women serving as faculty/administrators pressured the girls to comply with the accused’s demands,” DCP Goel.
Based on the statements, police lodged an FIR on charges of sexual harassment, acts insulting the modesty of a woman, and criminal intimidation.
Saraswati has a total of five cases against him. The first case was lodged at Defence Colony in 2009, while the second was a molestation case filed by a student in Vasant Kunj in 2016. The three other FIRs were lodged this year on charges of molestation, cheating, forgery, and related offences.