- By Priyanka Koul
- Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:21 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Chaitanyananda Saraswati News: A young woman has come forward to share how she narrowly avoided becoming part of the controversial ashram run by self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati, a place now under the scanner for alleged sexual abuse. Her experience, unsettling in hindsight, is a chilling reminder of how close she came to stepping into an environment she describes as suspicious from the start.
“I was lucky I didn’t fall into Baba’s trap,” she said, reflecting on the decision she and her family made just in time.
Her testimony adds another voice to the growing list of women who have accused the 62-year-old godman of sexual harassment at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj. Chaitanyananda is currently under arrest, facing serious allegations from at least 17 women.
Speaking to NDTV, the student recounted how she almost joined the institute in 2022, after being lured in by big promises internships, scholarships, and international exposure. At the time, it all sounded too good to pass up.
The student said she first approached Chaitanyananda's institute in October last year, carrying her academic documents in the hope of securing admission. According to her, Chaitanyananda personally assured her of an "internship opportunity" with financial support and claimed that the institute offered digitalised learning platforms and career prospects abroad.
“He told me that I could come here and do an internship, and for that they will also pay me,” she recalled. “He said all our things are digitalised here, there are good opportunities for you. Then Baba ji said that he trains IPS officers. He made it sound like he had authority and influence.”
While none of this was verifiable on the spot, the young woman said Chaitanyananda spoke with such conviction that it was hard not to believe him.
However, what raised red flags for her and her family was how rushed everything felt. The institute, she said, pressured her to make a decision immediately. The girl explained that what immediately unsettled her was the institute's insistence on same-day decisions.
“They do not give you time to think so much,” she said. “On the same day they will ask, on the same day they will say that your admission should be confirmed. I wanted one or two days to decide, but they did not allow it. My parents said, why are they not giving time to think? That raised their doubts.”
That doubt ultimately turned into a decision not to enroll one that, in retrospect, may have spared her from a disturbing experience.
What really unsettled her, she said, was something Chaitanyananda himself said during one of their early interactions. According to her, he shared an odd anecdote about a female student who had supposedly tried to seduce him.
“I found it very strange,” she said. “I had just come here to talk about studies. Why would he say such a thing in front of me? It made me uncomfortable. My parents also found it odd.”
Even more disturbing was what he implied next — that he was now being harassed by the police because he had rejected the girl.
“He already puts something in your mind that in the future if he harasses you, you will be afraid to take action because the police will be against you,” she added.
The woman said she never directly reached out to Chaitanyananda, it was through his personal assistant that she was introduced to the institute. She believes the assistant played a crucial role in shaping the narrative around the godman and the institute’s supposed prestige.
The student said she first met Chaitanyananda through his personal assistant, not directly. The assistant, she alleged, played a key role in influencing prospective students. "He has a whole team, which may be in the ashram, there may be other people involved," she said.
"They influence in such a way that the other person will be completely convinced that it is a very good opportunity, that they get students internships abroad, even MBAs."
ALSO READ: Chaitanyanand Arrested: How Delhi Police Tracked Molestation Accused 'Baba' To Agra Hotel
She also revealed that Chaitanyananda frequently moved between his various ashrams and was known to travel to areas close to her home, something that in hindsight seems part of a larger network of operations.
What Is The Ongoing Case Against Chaitanyananda?
Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, accused of sexually harassing 17 students at a Delhi-based private institute, had previously been booked for molestation and fraud in 2009 and 2016, and was arrested by Delhi Police on Sunday from Agra. According to PTI, he was booked for fraud and molestation at Defence Colony police station in 2009, and another molestation case was filed at Vasant Kunj police station in 2016.
He was chargesheeted and later granted bail but continued working at the institute despite the ongoing case. This year, three additional cases were filed against him: one for allegedly sexually harassing 17 girls, another for using a fake number plate, and a complaint of cheating the Math (monastic trust).
Saraswati, formerly known as Swami Parthasarathy alias Swami Dr. Parthasarathy, had been residing at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management for nearly 12 years. Police sources stated that he often targeted girls from economically weaker backgrounds.
After going on the run, police say Chaitanyananda managed to evade capture by switching between 15 different hotels in 50 days. He allegedly stayed in cheap lodgings without CCTV surveillance, with help from close aides who scouted the locations for him.
Eventually, police tracked him down at a hotel in Agra and arrested him. He has since been remanded to five days in custody. Officials say he has been largely uncooperative, claiming the accusations are false, saying he’s anxious, and even telling investigators he can’t remember the passwords to his seized mobile devices and iPad.
Three of his mobile phones and a tablet are now being examined by forensic experts as the investigation continues.