Accused Chaitanyananda Saraswati

NEW DELHI: The case against Chaitanyanand Saraswati, accused of molestinfg 17 students will be listed before the District Judge of Patiala House Court at noon. The judge who was scheduled to hear the bail application has recused himself, news agency ANI reported on Thursday.

Saraswati, who is currently in judicial custody, is facing allegations of sexually harassing 17 female students at a private Delhi institute. Police say he secretly photographed women and staff, engaged in lewd chats, and spied on students using a CCTV monitoring application. Authorities said Saraswati was arrested in Agra after being on the run for several days. Police investigations suggest a pattern of predatory behaviour. “Chats from just days before his arrest showed him soliciting women. In one exchange, he asked a woman to seduce him and sent hugging and kissing emojis. He also made an online payment for the act,” a senior officer said. Saraswati allegedly lured women with promises of employment, including positions as flight attendants or at his institute, and used these pretexts to initiate contact. Police said his office was designed to resemble a luxury suite, where he gave expensive gifts, including jewellery, and requested photographs and videos of the women performing yoga. Investigators said a CCTV monitoring app on his phone allowed him to track female students across the campus and hostels. To evade detection while on the run, he reportedly used London-based phone numbers, before being traced through his IP address. Police added that three female aides – including the institute’s dean and two wardens – allegedly threatened victims and coerced them into deleting inappropriate messages. Saraswati is also accused of honey-trapping activities. Police said he took some girls to Almora and allegedly instructed one to send obscene photos with a man in exchange for money. Authorities said Saraswati repeatedly lied during interrogation and tried to mislead investigators, invoking the names of influential figures, including the Chief Justice of India, and falsely claiming connections with the Prime Minister’s Office.