E-Paper
Delhi court sends self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati to 14-day judicial custody
The Delhi Police had sought judicial custody for Chaitanyanand Saraswati and produced him before judicial magistrate Animesh Kumar at the Patiala House Court
A Delhi court on Friday remanded the self-styled godman Chaitanyanand Saraswati to 14 days' judicial custody. The Delhi Police produced him before a judicial magistrate at Patiala House court. He has been accused of molesting 17 women students at a private institute.
The Delhi Police had sought judicial custody for Chaitanyanand Saraswati and produced him before judicial magistrate Animesh Kumar at the Patiala House Courts on the completion of his five-day police custody. Saraswati’s counsel moved an application seeking the supply of the seizure memo and the case diaries, which was allowed by the court.
The court sought a response from the police on other applications related to seeking the wearing of monk robes, providing medicines and "sanyasi" food.
The 62-year-old self-styled godman was arrested in Agra last Sunday after being on the run. Police earlier took him to the campus for site identification and investigation.
Delhi police also froze ₹8 crore, linked to Saraswati, parked in multiple bank accounts and fixed deposits.
As per the FIR, Saraswati, a former chairman of the management institute located in southwest Delhi, allegedly forced female students to visit his quarters late at night and sent inappropriate text messages to them at odd hours. He also allegedly kept track of his students’ movements through a CCTV monitoring app installed on his phone.
During further investigation, it was also revealed that Saraswati allegedly used different names and particulars to operate multiple bank accounts and withdrew over ₹50 lakh after the FIR was registered against him. Police also found fake visiting cards from him showing him associated with the United Nations and BRICS.
Earlier on Thursday, three women officials of a private institute were arrested, including an associate dean and senior faculty members. The accused, identified as Associate Dean Shweta Sharma, Executive Director Bhawna Kapil and Senior Faculty Kajal, were booked for abetment, threatening, and destruction of evidence, in the case related to Chitanyananda Saraswati.
