A Delhi court on Tuesday sent self-styled godman Chaitanyanand Saraswati to 14 days of judicial custody in a case related to the alleged use of a fake diplomatic number plate. Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, originally named Parthasarathy from Odisha, is a self-styled monk and former director of the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. He was arrested in late 2025 and now faces several serious charges, including sexual harassment, fraud, and forgery.
Swami Chaitanyanand Produced Before Magistrate After Police Custody
Saraswati was presented before Judicial Magistrate Animesh Kumar after completing his one-day police custody, which had been granted on December 8.
Swami Chaitanyanand Arrested Earlier in Agra
Delhi Police arrested him in Agra on September 27, 2025, after he evaded authorities for nearly two months. He had already been facing serious charges at the time of his arrest. The investigation revealed his involvement in earlier criminal cases (from 2009 and 2016), possession of a luxury car with fake United Nations diplomatic plates, and fabricated educational degrees and endorsements supposedly from global figures like Steve Jobs and Barack Obama.
He has been placed in judicial custody and withdrew his bail application in November 2025 while waiting for the chargesheet. The Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, an institution he was associated with has cut all ties with him and filed its own complaints, accusing him of financial misconduct and other illegal activities.
Swami Chaitanyanand Facing Sexual Harassment Allegations
Saraswati, who once served as the chairman of a private management institute in southwest Delhi, has been accused of sexually harassing 17 students. A group of at least 17 female students many from financially weaker backgrounds accused him of sending obscene messages, using abusive language, and demanding sexual favors in exchange for higher grades or foreign trips. He is also alleged to have installed secret cameras in the women’s hostel.
Swami Chaitanyanand Also Accused of Molesting Multiple Women
Apart from the sexual harassment case, the self-proclaimed spiritual leader is also in judicial custody for allegedly molesting several women, adding to his ongoing legal troubles.
