Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati Accused of Sexual Harassment by 17 Students; Police Launch Manhunt
A profile of Chaitanyananda claimed that he had authored 28 books and 143 research papers, and had been awarded seven honorary D.Litt. degrees from various universities.
Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, a self-styled spiritual leader and academic, is under investigation after 17 students from his institute in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj accused him of sexual harassment. The 62-year-old, who serves as a ‘sanchalak’ at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management, allegedly exploited students—particularly those admitted under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota—by offering them foreign trips or threatening to fail them in exams if they didn’t comply with his advances.
The Delhi Police confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered in August following the students' complaints. A lookout circular has since been issued against Chaitanyananda, and multiple teams have been deployed to track him down. Investigators also found a car bearing a forged diplomatic number plate — 39 UN 1 — in the institute’s basement, which was allegedly used by him.
Chaitanyananda, whose real name is reportedly Dr. Parthasarthy, has built a public persona as an "internationally acclaimed writer" and scholar. His profile on academic platforms such as ResearchGate describes him as an author of 28 books and over 140 research papers, claiming affiliations with the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. It also states that he holds an MBA, a PhD, and a post-doctoral degree, in addition to seven honorary D.Litt. degrees from various Indian and international institutions.
Among his more outlandish claims is that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wrote the foreword for one of his books titled Forget Classroom Learning, and that former U.S. President Barack Obama frequently quoted his book Transforming Personality during election campaigns. He is described as an authority on Vedanta, with supposed mastery over the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.
Despite his lofty credentials, this isn’t Chaitanyananda’s first run-in with the law. Police sources revealed that he was previously booked in 2009 for fraud and molestation at Defence Colony police station, and another molestation case was filed against him in 2016 in Vasant Kunj.
Police believe he may currently be hiding in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, or Uttarakhand, where he frequently travels for spiritual events. He was reportedly in London when the latest case was registered in August. His current whereabouts remain unknown.