Delhi Self-Styled Godman Arrested with Fake Photos of PM Modi and Barack Obama: Complete Investigation Details

Fake photo of 'Delhi Baba' with ex-US President Barack Obama.

New Delhi:

Delhi Police on Wednesday discovered three fraudulent photographs belonging to self-proclaimed godman 'Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati', also known as Parthasarathy from Odisha or 'Delhi Baba', who stands accused of sexually harassing at least 17 women at an ashram located in the Vasant Kunj area of the city.

These digitally-manipulated images show the 'Delhi Baba' in staged poses with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former United States President Barack Obama, and a British politician.

According to Delhi Police sources who spoke to NDTV, these photographs were located in his ashram quarters.

Police also seized business cards claiming his position as a 'permanent ambassador' to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and a 'special envoy' for the BRICS bloc.

Authorities have additionally frozen assets valued at Rs 8 crore.

The investigation team also recovered what they identified as a 'sex toy' and five CDs potentially containing pornographic content. A separate police unit investigated locations in Uttarakhand's Almora and Bageshwar, where 'Delhi Baba' had concealed himself to evade arrest after the scandal emerged last week.

Following 50 days as a fugitive - since the initial complaint on August 4 - he was located at a hotel in Agra's Taj Ganj and apprehended. During the arrest, authorities confiscated multiple digital devices, including a mobile phone that provided access to CCTV cameras monitoring the premises of the privately-operated educational facility, the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management.

Parthsarathy, who claimed the title of 'Director' at the institute, allegedly victimized women by coercing them into sexual activities, initially through persuasion and later through threats regarding their academic performance.

Police reported that his targets were predominantly women from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), likely because the 'Swami' believed neither the victims nor their families would speak out.

He reportedly received assistance in his reprehensible schemes from three female wardens, all of whom may have participated in pressuring and intimidating the victimized women through WhatsApp messages and calls.

Previous cases exist against him, including incidents from 2009 and 2016. The first involves allegations of molestation and fraud, for which he was briefly detained.

Police have also arrested Hari Singh Kopkoti, 38, a close associate of the accused who allegedly threatened the father of one victim against pursuing legal action.