Self-styled godman and former Delhi institute chairman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati is under mounting scrutiny after investigators revealed that he withdrew over ₹50 lakh from multiple bank accounts using false identities following the registration of an FIR against him. The 62-year-old, accused of sexually harassing 17 female students and misappropriating property, remains absconding while Delhi Police continue their search.
According to police, Saraswati allegedly opened and operated bank accounts with different names and mismatched documents, enabling him to transfer and withdraw large sums after the case was filed. Investigators estimate that between ₹50–55 lakh has already been siphoned off.
On Friday, a Delhi court rejected Saraswati’s anticipatory bail plea, citing the need for custodial interrogation to unravel the financial fraud and conspiracy. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur said the investigation was still at an early stage and noted that Saraswati’s whereabouts remain unknown, with his phone switched off.
The court also highlighted evidence of a fraudulent trust—Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research Foundation Trust—allegedly created by Saraswati to divert property and revenue meant for the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research and its parent peetham in Sringeri. Funds from a key plot were reportedly sublet without approval and redirected for his personal benefit.
Victims have accused Saraswati of creating an atmosphere of fear by confiscating students’ phones and withholding their original educational certificates, effectively controlling their communication and future prospects. Several students alleged that female peers were threatened with failure or expulsion if they resisted his advances.
The FIR, filed on August 4 after a complaint by an IAF officer, followed multiple testimonies of sexual harassment and coercion. Police say the fugitive godman used loyalists within the institute to intimidate students and conceal his actions.
