Delhi ‘godman’ booked for harassing students used hostel CCTV feed to track women

A self-styled godman and former chairman of a private management institute in southwest Delhi, who has been booked for sexually harassing 17 students, allegedly tracked women through hostel CCTV feeds, including cameras installed outside washrooms and those across the campus, directly on his phone, police said on Thursday.

Chaitanyananda Saraswati (62) alias Swami Parthasarathy, a ‘sanchalak’ at Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management, is accused of using his BMW car valued at Rs 1.5 crore to take female students to Rishikesh under the pretext of “industrial visits”.

The car has been seized from the basement of the institute and police said its dashcam footage will be examined.

“Apart from the cameras installed in the institute, CCTV surveillance was also placed in the hostel lobby and outside the bathrooms. The hostel lodges around 75 female students from the economically weaker section (EWS) category. Saraswati regularly monitored the students and kept track of their movements through his phone,” a senior police officer said.

Investigators said the accused tampered with the institute’s digital video recorder (DVR) system, leading to destruction of crucial CCTV evidence. However, police believe the dashcam of the BMW may provide some material evidence.

Sources earlier claimed that Saraswati converted his ground-floor office in the institute into a “torture chamber” where female scholars, particularly those from the EWS category, were allegedly exploited.

However, DCP (Southwest) Amit Goel clarified that no such chamber was found during the searches.

Police said the investigation also revealed that Saraswati tightened his control over the institute by allegedly subletting the properties of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, which runs it, to private companies for financial gains.

“He reportedly used the proceeds to purchase high-end luxury vehicles,” an officer said.

So far, two cars have been traced to Saraswati — a Volvo carrying a forged diplomatic number plate, ‘39 UN 1’, registered in a fake address, and a BMW he purchased in March.

“After buying the BMW, he performed a pooja along with the institute’s female students, drove them around and played songs while making inappropriate comments. He also used the same car to take them to Rishikesh for an industrial visit,” the FIR said.

According to police, the accused's last active location was traced to Mumbai, based on inputs of foreign travel and return.

He is suspected to have travelled abroad recently, deliberately avoiding electronic devices and disguising his appearance to evade arrest, police said.

The case against Saraswati has been registered under Sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Vasant Kunj North police station.