A woman who filed a molestation case against self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati in 2016 has said he “had vulture-like eyes” on her.
She also alleged that 62-year-old Chaitanyananda Saraswati, alias Swami Parthasarathy, who has been charged with sexually harassing 17 students at his private management institute in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, sent her obscene texts and called her “baby” and “sweet girl”.
According to the first information report (FIR) filed by her, the woman, who was then aged 20, said she dropped out of the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in just eight months.
“It was the most difficult period of my life. As soon as I joined the institute, Baba started sending me obscene messages. He called me “baby” and “sweet girl.” After classes ended at 6:30 pm, he would call me to his office and harass me,” she said.
She said Chaitanyananda would say that she was “very talented” and that he would take her to Dubai to study and would cover all her expenses.
“I didn’t want this at all, but his staff continued to put pressure on me. Baba confiscated my mobile phone and forced me to live alone in the hostel. I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone. He would call me at night on the phone in my room. He had a vulture-like eye on me,” she said.
She also alleged that Chaitanyananda talked about taking her out for dinner and said they would stay in “nice hotels”.
“I was very scared,” she said.
The woman said he also tried to touch her “inappropriately”.
“Baba told me to come with him to Mathura. But I didn’t go and run away, leaving all my belongings in the hostel without telling anyone,” she said.
She said the students associated with him then came to her and started pressuring her to come back.
“Baba gave them my number and address. But my father chased them away,” she added.
Police records show Chaitanyananda evaded earlier molestation charges in both 2009 and 2016, reportedly using his influence and network to avoid prosecution.
In the current case, 17 women jointly lodged complaints in Delhi in early August. At the time, Chaitanyananda was believed to be in London but was later traced to Agra.
He initially filed an anticipatory bail application in the Delhi High Court but withdrew it within days.
Delhi Police have since conducted raids across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. A Lookout Circular has been issued to prevent him from leaving the country. He remains missing.