Godman Chaitanyananda produced in Delhi court, police seek 5-day custody

A Delhi Police team traced Saraswati to Agra, where he was staying at a hotel, officials said

Self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati, who allegedly sexually harassed 17 women students at a private institute in Delhi, was apprehended from Agra early Sunday and produced before a court here by Delhi Police for custody. 

Officials said that a Delhi Police team traced Saraswati (62) to Agra, where he was staying at a hotel, and arrested him at around 3.30 am. 

They also recovered one iPad and three phones from his possession. One of the phones had access to the CCTV footage of the campus and the hostel through which he monitored the student's movement. 

Investigators said Chaitanyanand and his associates falsely projected proximity to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). His aides allegedly made calls to various people claiming he had links with the PMO, which enabled him to secure support and cooperation while evading the authorities, a senior police officer said. 

 

While avoiding arrest, the accused allegedly kept changing places and hotels in Vrindavan, Mathura and Agra in Uttar Pradesh and used taxis to travel. To escape detection, he stayed in cheaper hotels, a police official said. 

Police also found fake visiting cards from him showing him associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as its Permanent Ambassador and BRICS as Commission Member and Indian Special Envoy De' Premiere'. 

"Multiple teams were formed to nab Saraswati. Based on inputs, we tracked him to a hotel in Agra's Taj Ganj area and caught him from there around 3.30 am on Sunday," a senior police officer said, adding that he fled Delhi on August 4 when the FIR was registered. 

According to the hotel staff in Agra, Chaitanyanand registered at the hotel around 4 pm on September 27 under the name 'Partha Sarathi' and was assigned Room Number 101. He remained in the room throughout the night. 

Earlier, police froze Rs 8 crore, linked to Saraswati, parked in multiple bank accounts and fixed deposits. 

According to the FIR, Saraswati, a former chairman of the management institute in southwest Delhi, allegedly forced female students to visit his quarters late at night and sent them inappropriate text messages at odd hours. 

He allegedly kept track of the students' movements through his phone. 

During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused allegedly used different names and particulars to operate multiple bank accounts and withdrew over Rs 50 lakh after the FIR was registered against him, the officer added. He had allegedly submitted documents with varying particulars at the time of account opening.