Self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati withdraws bail plea in molestation case 

Chaitanyananda had served as the chancellor of Vasant Kunj-based Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research, run by Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka’s Sringeri. He has been accused of molestation by the students of the institute.

His bail plea has been withdrawn after Additional Sessions Judge Deepti Devesh of Patiala House Court last month underlined that the gravity of offence allegedly committed by him had increased multifold because of the large number of victims in the case.

Meanwhile, in a status report submitted by the Delhi Police, the court was informed that most of the eyewitnesses in the case had been examined but they were yet to gain access to the iPad of the accused.

Chaitanyananda was arrested from a hotel in Agra on September 28. The arrest followed allegations levelled by the students that he made “unwanted physical contact” with them.

According to the FIR lodged in the case, he allegedly forced female students to visit his quarter late at night, sent them inappropriate text messages at odd hours and also allegedly tracked their movements through his phone.

On the other hand, Swami had alleged in his bail plea that the complainants had been tutored and had framed him because he enforced strict discipline at the institute. He had also claimed that he had no direct interaction with the students.

Another FIR over alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of funds totalling Rs 20 crore was lodged against him on July 25 based on a complaint from the religious body that runs the private institute.

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