Tense silence at Delhi's Sharada Institute as harassment probe against godman deepens

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The otherwise bustling gates of Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in Vasant Kunj stood eerily quiet on Wednesday evening, with policemen posted at the entrance and television crews outside. Vehicles were let in only after stringent inspection.

The dismal turnaround has at its centre a 62-year-old self-styled godman.

Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati alias Parthsarthy was booked following allegations by several female students of harassment. Statements of 32 women were recorded, of whom 17 accused him of abusive language, sending explicit messages, and making unwanted advances.

Locals said the building also, ironically, houses a coaching centre that educates women about empowerment in work spaces, and a cement company office, on the upper floors.

An auto driver who has been ferrying students and employees to and from the campus for the past four to five years recalled that there was heavy police presence since morning.

"We don't really know what is happening inside, I even tried asking my passengers, none of them answered, but the students looked tense when they came out," he said.

Students were escorted out in small batches almost half an hour after the college timings ended and shepherded onto buses lined up outside amid heavy security. Most of them avoided speaking to reporters.

A police source said many of the women who first complained against Saraswati have either graduated, left for internships, or returned to their home towns since the case was lodged in August.

A large number of them had been staying in the institute's hostels, the source said.

"The first complaint was made internally to the college administration official. It was only later that the college administrator approached the police, leading to formal statements being recorded," the source said.

As part of the inquiry so far into the latest case, statements of 32 women pursuing PGDM under the EWS quota have been recorded, police said.

Of them, 17 incriminated Saraswati with offences of sexual nature.

Three women faculty and administrators allegedly pressured students to comply with his demands, and their role is under investigation. PTI SGV VN VN