Self-styled godman Chaitanyanand spied on students, faked links to PMO: Police

Chaitanyanand Saraswati, a self-proclaimed spiritual leader arrested for allegedly sexually harassing 17 students at a private institute, was found to have engaged in a disturbing pattern of predatory behaviour, including secretly photographing women, monitoring students through CCTV, and manipulating victims with the help of three female aides, police revealed on Tuesday.

Saraswati was arrested on Sunday in Agra after several days on the run. According to investigators, he was using London-based phone numbers in an attempt to evade detection and was finally tracked through his IP address.

Authorities disclosed that the accused maintained a facade of spiritual authority while abusing his position to target young women. His mobile phone, now seized, contains lewd chats, secretly taken photographs, and screenshots of display pictures of women, along with images of female flight attendants he allegedly sought to impress.

"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 to her. He also made an online payment to her for the act," a senior officer revealed."He lured women with promises of jobs as flight stewards or positions at his institute and used these pretexts to initiate conversations," the officer added.

Female aides allegedly aided in cover-up

Saraswati is also being confronted with three female accomplices, who are sisters. One served as the dean of the institute, while the other two worked as hostel wardens. According to police, these women allegedly threatened victims, pressured them to delete incriminating messages, and shielded Saraswati from scrutiny.

Investigators believe his office was styled to resemble a luxury hotel suite, designed to impress and manipulate female visitors. He would often gift women expensive items, including jewellery, and requested photos and videos of them performing yoga, police said.

A particularly alarming discovery was a CCTV surveillance app on his mobile phone, through which Saraswati allegedly monitored female students on campus and inside the hostel, further violating their privacy.

Influence-peddling and false claims

The accused allegedly name-dropped influential figures, including the Chief Justice of India, and falsely claimed ties with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to intimidate law enforcement and bolster his perceived power.

"He threatened police in the name of the Chief Justice of India and falsely claimed links with the PMO to gain influence and support," a senior officer stated.

Evasive and uncooperative during interrogation

Since his arrest, police say Saraswati has been largely uncooperative, often giving evasive replies and repeatedly lying during questioning — even when confronted with digital evidence.

"He has shown no remorse for his actions and has been giving evasive replies," the officer noted.

On Monday, investigators escorted him to the institute’s campus to help identify specific locations where the alleged assaults were carried out.

The case continues to unfold, with police expected to file further charges as the investigation deepens into what they describe as a well-orchestrated web of manipulation, abuse, and intimidation.

With PTI inputs