Delhi Court Rejects Bail for Self-Styled Godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati in Major Forgery and Fund Misappropriation Case

The court's decision considered the "seriousness of allegations" and the "gravity" of the crime. (File)

New Delhi:

A Delhi court on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail application of self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati in a case involving allegations of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur emphasized that the investigation was at an "initial stage" and that police required the accused's custodial interrogation to "uncover the complete network of fraud, cheating, conspiracy and misappropriation of funds."

The court noted the Investigation Officer's statement that the accused could not be located at his provided address and his mobile phone was turned off.

The ruling took into consideration both the "seriousness of allegations" and the "gravity" of the offense.

According to the investigation thus far, the court observed that Chaitanyananda had established a fraudulent trust called 'Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research Foundation Trust' to transfer the property of 'Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research' to this illegitimate entity created by him.

The court stated that the accused had allocated a specific plot to the fraudulent trust and subleased it without obtaining proper authorization or informing relevant authorities.

"The revenue and funds generated from plot number 7 were meant for Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research and the peetham (Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri), but the accused diverted these resources for his personal benefit and illegally misappropriated the property and funds belonging to the peetham," the order stated.

The court noted accusations that Chaitanyananda had falsified All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) records and was operating a Union Bank of India account under two different identities.

"When opening these accounts and transferring them to another branch, different documents with varying details were submitted. There are also serious allegations that the accused withdrew approximately Rs 50-55 lakhs from the Yes Bank account in the trust's name after the present FIR was filed," the court stated.

The accused allegedly also forged documents, obtained dual passports with different identities, and managed multiple bank accounts under various names, the court noted.

The court observed the subsequent application of Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) upon discovering the accused's involvement in criminal breach of trust.

The Vasant Kunj (north) police station registered an FIR against Chaitanyananda following a complaint by P A Murali alleging that the godman and associates were engaged in conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, cheating, fraud, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of properties and funds belonging to the peetham.

Murali explained that V R Gowrishankar was previously the CEO and administrator of the peetham through a general power of attorney dated October 26, 1989, which was later revoked, and the complainant was authorized to represent the peetham from March 2024 onwards.

He claimed that after assuming the CEO position, an audit revealed that the accused, along with others, had defrauded and misappropriated the property and funds of the peetham.

According to the complainant, the peetham was involved in various charitable, educational, and social initiatives, and had established an AICTE-approved institution, Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research in Vasant Kunj area in Delhi.

Murali alleged that the accused created a fraudulent trust named Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research Foundation Trust, distinct from the legitimate 'Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management Research'.

The accused subsequently renamed the fraudulent trust to SRISIIM Research Foundation and empowered it to distribute the peetham's property, he added.

The FIR includes charges of cheating by personation, cheating by dishonestly inducing property delivery or consent to its retention, forgery, using forged documents or electronic records as genuine, criminal conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust.

The self-styled godman faces additional allegations of sexually harassing 17 female students at a private management institute in Delhi.