College head molests 17 students, on the run

A former chairman of a Delhi management college has been on the run for a month after being booked for allegedly molesting more than 17 students on campus in Vasant Kunj, police said on Wednesday.

- Jignasa Sinha

Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, also known as Dr Parthasarthy, was booked after students of Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management filed a complaint in August, officials said, and added that the suspect had been booked in similar cases in the past but had never been arrested.

According to the complaint, Saraswati, who is in his sixties, targeted women on scholarships for those from economically weak families.

The accused headed the institute that offers postgraduate management diplomas and is affiliated with the Sri Sri Jagad guru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, an organisation with ashrams and educational institutions across nine states. According to deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel, the college administrator filed a complaint on August 4 alleging that Saraswati was sexually harassing women students pursuing courses under economically weaker section scholarships. According to the FIR, lodged on basis of complaint of PA Murali, the administration found out about the cases of molestation while they were investigating Saraswati for fraud and cheating.

The FIR stated that the accused and his "co-conspirators" "pressured" the victims to give into the demands.

"During inquiry, statements of 32 female students were recorded.

Seventeen of them alleged they received obscene WhatsApp messages, dealt with abusive language from the accused and unwanted physical contact," Goel said.

The students also alleged that female faculty and administrators pressurised them to comply with Saraswati's demands.

Based on the statements, police lodged an FIR charging Saraswati with sexual harassment, act insulting the modesty of woman, and criminal intimidation.