A Delhi court has remanded Partha Sarathy, also known as Chaitanyananda Saraswati, to five days of police custody in a sexual harassment case involving female students. The Patiala House Court made the decision on Sunday, with Duty Magistrate Ravi approving the order after police requested the time to investigate.
Saraswati faces charges of molesting girl students in the Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program at Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management. The institute is linked to Sri Sharada Peetham in Sringeri and offers spots under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scholarship. He’s also accused of forgery, including using fake credentials to pose as a high-ranking official.
His lawyer, Manish Gandhi, told that a “huge conspiracy” lies behind the arrest, involving some prominent figures. “The real issue is something else,” Gandhi said. “We’ll disclose names soon.” The court also allowed daily visits for the defense while granting police the five-day custody.
Police nabbed Saraswati on Saturday night from a hotel in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Before appearing in court, he underwent a medical check at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. The Delhi Police Crime Branch led the operation after a three-day manhunt across states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Amit Goel shared details with reporters. “Our team tracked him down after he kept switching locations—mostly in Mathura, Vrindavan, and Agra—to dodge arrest,” Goel said. “We caught him last night, identified him, and brought him to Delhi. Now, we’ll dig deeper.”
Investigators seized three phones, an iPad, and several fake visiting cards from Saraswati. The cards falsely claimed he was a Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, a member of the BRICS Joint Commission, and a Special Envoy for India. These props apparently helped him gain access to the students.
The case started on September 23 when Delhi Police filed an FIR at Vasant Kunj North Police Station. The complaint details multiple instances of sexual harassment and misconduct by Saraswati at the institute. Notably, Sri Sharada Peetham revoked his Powers of Attorney back in 2008, cutting his ties to the organization long ago.
Police plan to analyze the recovered devices and cards as part of the ongoing probe into this sexual harassment case and forgery allegations.
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