Accused Swami Chaitanyananda
NEW DELHI: A director of a private engineering institute in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, identified as Chinmayanad Saraswati — also known as Parthasarthi or Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati — is facing fresh allegations of sexual harassment from multiple female students. This is not the first time his name has surfaced in such cases. In 2009, a case involving fraud and molestation was filed against him in Defence Colony. Later, in 2016, a woman in Vasant Kunj lodged a molestation complaint, prompting police to register a case. Authorities are now reviewing these earlier cases as part of the ongoing probe. Police say Saraswati, who is currently absconding, allegedly harassed between 12 and 15 students enrolled in Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) courses under the EWS scholarship at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management.
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The first complaint in the present case was filed on 4 August 2025 by P.A. Murli, Administrator of Sri Sringeri Math & Its Properties. Investigators recorded statements from 32 female students, of whom 17 alleged abusive language, obscene WhatsApp and SMS messages, and unwanted physical contact. Some students also said faculty and administrative staff pressured them to comply with his demands. Based on the inquiry, police registered a case under sections 75(2), 79, and 351(2) BNS at Vasant Kunj North Police Station. CCTV footage has been reviewed, raids carried out at multiple locations, and digital evidence sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis. Statements of 16 victims have also been recorded under section 183 BNSS before the Patiala House Courts. During the investigation, police discovered a luxury Volvo car belonging to the accused, parked in the institute’s basement, with a forged diplomatic UN number plate “39 UN 1.” The car has been seized, and a separate FIR was registered on 25 August 2025 under sections 345(3), 318(4), 336(3), and 340(2) BNS. Meanwhile, the Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, has distanced itself from Saraswati, calling his actions “illegal, inappropriate and detrimental to the interests of the Peetham.” It stressed that the institute is governed by a council chaired by Krishna Venkatesh to safeguard student welfare. Police continue to search for Saraswati, who remains on the run, and have appealed to the public for information on his whereabouts.
