Delhi Police Investigate 'Swami' Chaitanyanand Saraswati's "Torture Room" and CCTV Network in Student Molestation Case

Chaitanyanand Saraswati is facing criminal charges for allegedly targeting female students.

New Delhi:

On Monday, Delhi Police escorted 'Swami' Chaitanyanand Saraswati to the institution he previously directed, interrogating him about the alleged "torture room" and CCTV camera placements. Saraswati stands accused of molesting 17 female students.

The accused, also known as Partha Sarathy, served as director of the prestigious Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management in Delhi's upscale Vasant Kunj area. He faces criminal allegations of targeting female students enrolled in post-graduate management diploma programs through the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) scholarship program.

Officials reported that the 'Swami' escaped on August 4, shortly after the institute received a complaint from Indian Air Force headquarters alleging his misconduct toward female students. Police apprehended him at an Agra hotel on September 28.

Following his arrest, Chaitanyanand appeared before the court, which remanded him to 5-day police custody.

At the institute, police questioned him for several hours before returning him to custody.

According to investigators, Chaitanyananda would summon female students to his room during late hours and threaten academic consequences if they refused his advances.

Police took Chaitanyananda to the "torture room" on the institution's ground floor, where he allegedly conducted private meetings with female students.

To date, police have recorded statements from three institute wardens. All three stand accused of assisting Chaitanyananda in deleting incriminating messages.

WhatsApp conversations recovered from approximately 50 female students' phones have revealed abuse patterns spanning 16 years, including sexually explicit messages and incidents of forced physical contact.

Allegations have emerged regarding deleted CCTV footage, with the DVR now undergoing examination at the Forensic Science Laboratory.

During the institute investigation, police examined the CCTV camera locations throughout the premises. Chaitanyanand faced questioning about these surveillance systems.

The investigation focused on determining which cameras Baba accessed and how he monitored female students' activities from those vantage points.

Seventeen women filed complaints at the Defence Colony Police Station in early August, accusing Chaitanyanand of harassment.

Officials also stated that Chaitanyanand has allegedly victimized women for nearly two decades, emboldened by his ability to evade previous molestation charges in 2009 and 2016.

The current scandal emerged when 17 women filed complaints at the Defence Colony Police Station in early August. At that time, Chaitanyananda was in London, but authorities ultimately traced him to Agra.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)