Sexual Harassement Case: Delhi Court Denies Seizure Memo to Chaitanyanand Saraswati
Court allows Self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati Religious Attire and Essential Amenities in Custody
The Patiala House Court on Wednesday refused to direct the Delhi Police to provide copies of seizure memos to Chaitanyanand Saraswati, who is in judicial custody in a molestation case registered at Vasant Kunj North Police Station.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Animesh Kumar declined the plea for seizure memos but allowed Saraswati certain concessions in jail, including wearing his Sanyasi robe, access to medicines, spectacles, books, and food.
The plea for religious attire was opposed by Delhi Police, which submitted that Saraswati is not a sanyasi and that allowing him to wear such clothes could create law-and-order issues in jail. The Additional Public Prosecutor argued that the accused’s religious claim was unverified.
Advocate Manish Gandhi, representing Saraswati, countered that his client had undergone Diksha, changing his name from Parthasarathi to Chaitanyanand Saraswati, and that the Mathh had not challenged this. Gandhi further emphasized that the jail manual does not prohibit undertrial prisoners from wearing clothes of their choice, and that denying such rights based on personal beliefs was impermissible.
The Court observed that the police’s submission contained “unwanted comments” suggesting that the accused did not deserve the privilege of wearing religious clothes. JMFC Kumar clarified that authorities must follow the jail manual and refrain from making personal remarks about prisoners’ rights.
Regarding the seizure memos, the Court noted that there is no bar under the BNSS provisions to provide copies to the accused.
However, the Additional Public Prosecutor opposed this, citing guidelines that seizure documents cannot be shared before the filing of a charge sheet.
Saraswati, previously remanded on October 3, was in judicial custody till October 17. The police had informed the Court that they had added a fresh charge of threatening witnesses to give false evidence under Section 232 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Saraswati, 62, was produced before the Court upon completion of his five-day police custody. The Delhi Police had told the court that the new provision was invoked after one of the women complainants reported being threatened following the registration of the case.
Chaitanyananda, who was arrested from a hotel after evading police for days, underwent a medical examination at Safdarjung Hospital before being brought to court. According to DCP (South-West) Amit Goel, a special team had been tracking him across Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal before finally nabbing him in Agra.
Days before his arrest, a former student who first lodged an FIR against him in 2016 came forward with new disclosures. According to media reports, she alleged that her original complaint of molestation and harassment was ignored. She said that had authorities acted on her case nine years ago, many other women might not have suffered.
The complainant described systematic exploitation by Chaitanyananda, alleging that students’ laptops, phones, and educational documents were confiscated and withheld to exert control. She further accused him of manipulating students with false promises of foreign placements while subjecting them to unwanted advances.
According to reports, Police told the Court that they recovered three mobile phones, an iPad, and fake visiting cards from the accused. The seized cards falsely identified him as a Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, a BRICS Joint Commission member, and a Special Envoy of India. Officials said the devices and forged documents will be examined as part of the ongoing probe.
The case against Chaitanyananda stems from an FIR lodged on September 23 at Vasant Kunj North Police Station, where multiple women students of the PGDM programme under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scholarship accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct. The allegations led the Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri to revoke the Power of Attorney earlier granted to him in 2008.
Appearing for the accused, Advocate Manish Gandhi argued that the case was part of a “larger conspiracy” involving “very prominent individuals,” and assured that their names would soon be disclosed. The Court, while granting police custody, also allowed applications by the defence for daily access during interrogation.
The police are investigating charges of sexual harassment, molestation, forgery, and impersonation as a government functionary.
Chaitanyananda is accused of the following:
-Sexual harassment: sending obscene messages, making unwanted physical contact, and using abusive language against students, many admitted under the EWS quota.
-Financial fraud: siphoning funds from the Sringeri Math, allegedly diverting ₹20 crore through a parallel trust and misappropriating around ₹55 lakh.
-Forgery: obtaining a forged passport and falsifying documents to consolidate control over the institute.
In a related news, on September 26, a Delhi Court had dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati in connection with a criminal case involving allegations of fraud, forgery, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds belonging to the Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur at Patiala House Court observed that the offences were serious in nature and required custodial interrogation to establish the full chain of alleged criminal acts. The bail application, filed under Section 482 BNSS (earlier Section 438 Cr.P.C.), was vigorously opposed by the investigating officer and the complainant.
Order Date: October 15, 2025
Bench: Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Animesh Kumar
[Inputs: ANI]