Patiala House Court on Friday ordered 14 days of judicial custody for Chaitanyananda Saraswati, also known as Parthasarathy, in connection with an alleged molestation case involving female students.
The court has directed Delhi Police to respond to three applications moved on his behalf, which sought access to the seizure memo, signing of the case diary, and permission to receive Sanyasi food, traditional attire, medicines, and books.
Chaitanyananda was apprehended earlier this week from a hotel in Agra after remaining on the run. He is accused of sexually harassing students at the Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj.
During a fresh search of the institute premises, police said they recovered objectionable items and forged photographs. “The search led to the recovery of one sex toy and five CDs purportedly containing pornographic content,” police said, adding that three forged photographs of the accused with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former US President Barack Obama, and a UK-based leader were also seized.
The investigating team further traced his movements through Bageshwar and Almora in Uttarakhand, as well as other locations he visited while absconding.
Police earlier found two fake visiting cards describing him as a “Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations” and a “member of the BRICS Joint Commission and a Special Envoy of India.”
Also read: Patiala House Court noted the investigation in his case is at a nascent stage and Police requires his custodial interrogation
DCP South West Amit Goel said that evidence suggested he may have lured victims with false promises of employment. “A detailed investigation is currently underway. Evidence is being gathered against him for whatever allegations he is facing. He is being questioned. The 3 women, in particular, were the ones who were with him from the beginning. Their role is being established. He may have lured many of them (the victims) with the promise of a job. He was not using his phone directly. He was using an international number for communication,” Goel said.
According to police, lewd chats and women’s photographs were also found on his mobile phone, pointing to a pattern of predatory behaviour.
The case originated from a complaint lodged on August 4 at Vasant Kunj North Police Station by an administrator of the institute, alleging harassment of female students under the EWS scholarship scheme.
Statements of 32 women were recorded during the enquiry, of which 17 reported incidents of abusive language, obscene messages, and unwanted physical contact. They further alleged that faculty members and administrators pressured them to comply with the accused’s demands.
The Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, has since revoked the Powers of Attorney earlier granted to him in 2008.
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