Sexual Harassment Accused Chaitanyananda Says Tihar Jail Unsafe, Moves Court for Relief
Chaitanyananda Saraswati was produced before a Delhi court and alleged a threat to his life in Tihar Jail during proceedings in the sexual harassment case involving 16 students
A Delhi Court on Friday sought a detailed status report from Tihar Jail authorities after Chaitanyananda Saraswati, the self-styled godman accused of sexually harassing 16 women students at a private management institute in southwest Delhi, claimed that his life was under threat inside the prison.
Chaitanyananda, the former chairman of the institute where the alleged offences took place, was produced before Judicial Magistrate Animesh Kumar of Patiala House Court on completion of his 14-day judicial custody.
Before the Court, he alleged that prison officials had denied him permission to wear his monk’s robes despite multiple applications, and had also refused to provide the restricted diet he said monks are entitled to.
Taking note of the submissions, the Court directed Tihar authorities to file a detailed status report and listed the matter for November 18.
Earlier, on November 7, Chaitanyananda withdrew his bail plea before the sessions court. His counsel informed Additional Sessions Judge Deepti Devesh that the application was being withdrawn as the defence intended to reassess the nature of the allegations once the chargesheet was filed. His earlier plea had claimed that complaints were “tutored,” asserting that the accusations arose because he enforced strict discipline in the institute.
Earlier, the police informed the Court that statements of 16 victims have been recorded before the magistrate, and mobile phones of five victims have been seized, with the remaining 11 to be collected. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) examination reports are awaited. The investigating officer, ACP Ved Prakash, also stated that obscene photos and related comments were recovered, with screenshots serving as evidence.
So far, five individuals, including three women, have been arrested in the case.
Previously, on October 15, the Court had 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.
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.
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.
Hearing Date: November 14, 2025
Bench: Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Animesh Kumar