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NEW DELHI: A self-styled godman and erstwhile president of a backstage absorption institute successful southwest Delhi, Chaitanyananda Saraswati (62), besides known arsenic Swami Parthasarathy, has been booked for sexually harassing 17 students and allegedly tracking women done hostel CCTV feeds, constabulary said connected Thursday.
Delhi Police Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South West, Aishwarya Singh, confirmed to ANI that the probe is ongoing, with constabulary making efforts to apprehend the accused. A abstracted FIR was registered for the forged diplomatic fig plate.Delhi Police are examining the roles of wardens and others, collecting integer evidence, and searching premises. Statements of the victims person been recorded earlier a judicial magistrate.Here are apical developments
'Godman' allegedly monitors women done cameras, including extracurricular bathrooms
Saraswati regularly monitored the students and kept way of their movements done his phone, according to a elder constabulary serviceman said. Saraswati is accused of utilizing his BMW car valued astatine Rs 1.5 crore to instrumentality pistillate students to Rishikesh nether the pretext of "industrial visits". The car was seized from the basement of the institute, and constabulary said its dashcam footage volition beryllium examined. Apart from the cameras installed successful the institute, CCTV surveillance was besides placed successful the hostel lobby and extracurricular the bathrooms.
The hostel lodges astir 75 pistillate students from the economically weaker conception (EWS) category. Investigators stated that the accused tampered with the institute's integer video recorder (DVR) system, starring to the demolition of important CCTV evidence. However, constabulary judge the dashcam of the BMW whitethorn supply immoderate worldly evidence.
Saraswati turns 1 portion of bureau into 'torture chamber'; Police denies
News bureau sources claimed that Saraswati converted his ground-floor bureau successful the institute into a “torture chamber” wherever pistillate scholars, peculiarly those from the EWS category, were allegedly exploited.
However, DCP (Southwest) Amit Goel clarified that nary specified enclosure was recovered during the searches. Police indicated that the probe besides revealed Saraswati tightened his power implicit the institute by allegedly subletting the properties of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, which runs it, to backstage companies for fiscal gains. “He reportedly utilized the proceeds to acquisition high-end luxury vehicles,” an serviceman said.
Car, forged diplomatic number, seized
So far, 2 cars person been traced to Saraswati—a Volvo carrying a forged diplomatic fig plate, '39 UN 1', registered to a fake address, and a BMW helium purchased successful March. "After buying the BMW, helium performed a pooja on with the institute's pistillate students, drove them astir and played songs portion making inappropriate comments. He besides utilized the aforesaid car to instrumentality them to Rishikesh for an concern visit,” the FIR said. According to police, the accused’s past progressive determination was traced to Mumbai, based connected inputs of overseas question and return. He is suspected to person travelled overseas recently, deliberately avoiding physics devices and disguising his quality to evade arrest, constabulary said.
Delhi Police issues lookout circular
Delhi Police has issued a lookout circular against self-styled godman, an authoritative said connected Wednesday. "A lookout circular (LOC) has been issued against him to forestall immoderate effort to fly the country," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel said. The serviceman further said that aggregate constabulary teams are conducting raids crossed Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand successful transportation with the case.
Delhi ‘godman’ connected the run; 5 FIRs
The lawsuit against Saraswati has been registered nether sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 79 (word, motion oregon enactment intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) astatine Vasant Kunj North constabulary station.
He is presently connected the run. With the latest FIR, helium present faces 5 cases, including those related to intersexual harassment, fraud and forgery.In 2009, helium was booked successful a lawsuit of fraud and harassment astatine Defence Colony constabulary station. In 2016, a pupil from the institute filed a molestation ailment against him astatine Vasant Kunj constabulary station, starring to his apprehension by Delhi Police.He was chargesheeted and aboriginal released connected bail, but continued to enactment astatine the institute contempt the pending case.
This year, 3 much cases person been registered against him — 1 successful which 17 girls alleged intersexual harassment, different involving the usage of a fake fig plate, and a ailment filed for allegedly cheating the mathematics (monastic trust).
'Baby, I emotion you. I adore you, you are looking beauteous today': New WhatsApp connection reveal
According to the FIR, the pupil archetypal interacted with Chaitanyananda past twelvemonth and instantly felt uncomfortable.“He initially looked astatine maine weirdly and demotivated me,” she said.After sustaining an injury, the pupil said she was asked to stock her aesculapian reports.Soon after, Chaitanyananda began sending inappropriate WhatsApp messages astatine unusual hours, including comments specified as, “Baby, I emotion you. I adore you, you are looking beauteous today,” and remarks astir her hair.Investigators said helium allegedly sent messages specified as, “Come to my room. I'll instrumentality you abroad, nary cost,” and threatened, "if you don't obey me, I volition neglect you” if they refused to comply.
