'Did you use condoms?': 10 chilling details from Chaitanyananda harassment case

Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati is accused of harassing over 17 women students. Here are some shocking revalations police have made in the case.

Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati styled himself as a godman, a mentor, a scholar at an institute in South Delhi. But his students say he was their worst nightmare. Behind the facade of spirituality and academia, Chaitanyananda allegedly ran an empire of hidden cameras, coercion and fear.

Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati has been accused of sexually harassing more than 17 women students.(ANI)

Also known as Dr Parthasarthy, Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati has been accused of sexually harassing more than 17 women students while heading the Shri Sharada Institute of Indian Management (ShriSIIM) in Vasant Kunj. Police and survivor accounts paint a picture of systematic abuse, intimidation and financial fraud.

Here are some chilling revelations from the case

Hidden cameras in the girls’ hostel

The FIR says Chaitanyananda planted CCTV cameras around the hostel, including near bathrooms, under the pretext of “security.” He monitored the footage on his phone and grilled students about their shower routines and personal relationships.

Obscene questioning and sexual remarks

Victims said he asked intrusive questions such as whether they had sex with boyfriends and if they used condoms. He also sent late-night WhatsApp messages like “Baby, I love you” and “I adore you.”

Public humiliation of women

Students recalled being shamed in front of peers. A Haryana student was branded “characterless” for having a boyfriend, while another described seeing a girl flee his office in tears with her clothes torn.

“Swami used to ask girls about their shower routine. There were CCTVs near our rooms and bathrooms… He once asked me if I had sex with my boyfriend and whether I used condoms,” she said, adding that she was denied her degree and told to pay ₹15,000 to retrieve her original documents.

Ritualised harassment during festivals

On Holi, women were allegedly forced to stand in line, bow to Chaitanyananda, and allow him to smear colour on their hair parting and cheeks. Faculty allegedly instructed them that no one else could apply colour before him.

Night summons and forced trips

Multiple women said Chaitanyananda called them to his private quarters at night and coerced them into foreign and domestic trips. One complainant said she narrowly escaped being taken to Mathura after repeated pressure.

Academic blackmail and financial extortion

A 2015 graduate recounted seeing a woman flee Chaitanyananda's cabin in tears with her top torn. Several students dropped out, fearing harassment.

Students who resisted were allegedly punished with manipulated attendance, deducted marks, or withheld degrees. At least one woman was told to pay ₹15,000 to get back her documents.

Associates complicit in coercion

The FIR names three female staff, including the associate dean, who allegedly pressured students to comply with Chaitanyananda's demands, forced them to delete evidence, and even made one change her name.

Illegal surveillance and intimidation

One complainant from 2016 said the self-styled godman confiscated her phone, isolated her in the hostel, and tracked her every move through landline calls and cameras, threatening her with powerful contacts if she disobeyed.

Luxury cars and forged plates

Investigators seized his BMW, worth ₹1.5 crore, allegedly used to ferry students to Rishikesh under the guise of “industrial visits.” A Volvo with a fake diplomatic plate (“39 UN 1”) was also found in the institute basement.

Fraud, forgery and financial misuse

Police allege Swami Chaitanyananda forged books in his name, ran a printing press from the institute, sublet floors to private firms, and siphoned funds to buy luxury vehicles. He is also accused of tampering with DVRs to destroy CCTV evidence.

Chaitanyananda on the run

Police say Saraswati, in his 60s, has been evading arrest since August, frequently changing disguises and avoiding electronics. A lookout circular has been issued, and his last known movements were traced near Mumbai.

(With inputs from Jignasa Sinha)