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Journalism of Courage
Vasant Kunj Institute Harassment Case: Mandated 98% attendance in yoga classes, with students even asked to join the classes on holidays and during internship period; marks of students deducted when they refused to accompany Chaitanyananda Saraswati to a personal trip abroad and coercive action taken against students if they failed to reply to his WhatsApp messages — these are some of the allegations a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force made in her email to Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in Vasant Kunj on August 1, blowing the lid off the ongoing sexual harassment scandal involving the head of the institute.
“Arbitrary and mandatory introduction of 98% attendance in yoga classes even during holidays/ out pass/ leave and internship period… Further, the students are mandated to upload photos in WhatsApp groups in different attires while doing different Yoga asanas,” the Group Captain wrote in the email.
She added that they have received complaints from women students detailing the abuse, alleging arbitrary decisions and vindictive behaviour by Chaitanyananda, including sending WhatsApp messages to girl students at odd hours.
The email mentioned that during the 2023-25 admission cycle, Chaitanyananda – the chancellor and chairman of the institute – approached the Chief of the Air Staff through a letter, offering 100% waiver of fees for girl wards belonging to families of IAF’s Airmen and Non-Combatants (Enrolled) personnel. Consequently, 11 girl wards of both serving and retired personnel were admitted to the institute, the email stated.
The Group Captain claimed that when students refused to accompany Chaitanyananda on a personal trip abroad, their marks were deducted. She added that the internship period of such students was increased and they were mandated to complete the internship in a foreign country, even after they conveyed financial constraints.
“Arbitrarily introducing three months of internship as… condition for appearing in final exams… On taking up the matter with institute’s officials/administration through email, rather than providing a just resolution, the students were threatened (that their) their email ID (would be blocked). Sending WhatsApp messages by (Chaitanyananda) to the personal numbers of girl students, that too even during odd hours… Further, if the students don’t reply to the messages, coercive actions are taken by the institute’s administration to force the students to reply to Swami Ji’s messages,” she wrote in the email.
She further mentioned the institute refused to allow parents to meet administration officials for discussion on various issues.
“IAF’s motto is ‘People First Mission Always’. It may be pertinent to mention that intangibles like morale of the troops plays an important role in the operational preparedness of the IAF. I am writing this with great concern regarding seriousness of the allegations and I feel that these allegations warrant a fact check along with detailed investigation,” she wrote to the institute.
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