Delhi court takes cognisance of chargesheet against Saraswati

The Patiala House Court in Delhi has taken cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police against Chaitanyanand Saraswati and four others accused of sexually harassing students of a private college. The matter will come up for the next hearing on November 29.

Earlier, the Delhi Police submitted a detailed 1,077-page chargesheet, naming 43 witnesses. During the investigation, officers reportedly recovered substantial digital evidence, including WhatsApp chat records from Saraswati’s mobile phone. In one WhatsApp group, he was allegedly seen making objectionable remarks about photographs of female students.

Police also seized a sex toy and five pornographic CDs from his room. The charges against him have been filed under Sections 75(2), 79, 351(2) and 232 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Saraswati was arrested earlier from Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Investigators said he targeted female students from economically weaker backgrounds and behaved inappropriately with them. He allegedly had access to the college’s CCTV system and had cameras installed near the washroom under the pretext of enhancing security, enabling him to monitor students closely.

Besides sexual misconduct, he also faces allegations of financial fraud. According to police, he rented institutional properties to private firms for personal gain and used the proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles. A BMW car was seized from his possession. Investigators allege he often took female students out in these vehicles and behaved indecently.

The court will now proceed to examine the charges and evidence as the case moves forward.