Aide of Swami arrested for molesting 17 women nabbed in Uttarakhand; had threatened a victim’s kin, say police

Police said while on the run, Chaitanyananda stayed in around 13-15 budget hotels booked by his aides at different places.

“He has been claiming that he has forgotten his iPad password. All his electronic devices have been sent to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory),” a police officer said.

On Chaitanyananda’s aide, Police said one of the victims reported that on September 14, her father had received a threatening call from an unknown mobile number. The caller was traced and identified as Hari Singh Kopkoti (38), a resident of Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. He was apprehended from his residence and brought to Delhi.

“During interrogation, he disclosed that he earns his livelihood through local municipality work. He further stated that he came in contact with Chaitanyananda last year during his visit to Delhi along with his acquaintance, who was already known to the accused… He further revealed that as per the directions of Chaitanyananda, he contacted the complainant’s father through his own mobile phone and asked him to withdraw the complaint,” the police officer said.

After interrogation, Kopkoti was taken in custody for the offence under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to threat and intimidation. The mobile phone allegedly used to threaten the victim’s father was also taken into possession.

On the grounds of Chaitanyananda’s remand, police said, “We need to confront him with the statements of victims as well as electronic evidence. (We need) To recover incriminating digital material, mobile phones, and deleted WhatsApp data; to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the conspiracy; to prevent further tampering with evidence and influencing/intimidating victims.”

Other grounds include, “To trace the financial and foreign links of the accused in relation to the offences, to prepare pointing-out memos of scenes of crime at the institute on his instance and to establish the abuse of his position as chairperson/chancellor of the educational institution, whereby he exploited multiple students.”

Chaitanyananda was arrested by Delhi Police early Sunday.