A Delhi court has denied bail to self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati in connection with a sexual abuse case involving 17 women students. During the bail hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Deepti Devesh stated that the gravity of the offenses is significantly increased due to the sheer number of victims.
The court has adjourned the hearing to October 27, noting that there are currently no grounds to grant statutory bail. Chaitanyananda Saraswati is in judicial custody after being accused of molesting students at a private management institute. According to the First Information Report (FIR), he allegedly coerced female students into visiting his quarters late at night and sent them inappropriate messages.
The judge’s remarks came as Saraswati’s defense counsel argued that he had been falsely implicated. In response to these claims, the judge emphasized the difficulty of persuading multiple victims to fabricate charges, questioning, “It is possible to induce one, two, possibly even three, but how is it possible to persuade all 16?”
Saraswati’s counsel contended that most alleged offenses are bailable, except for a charge related to threatening witnesses. The defense also claimed a lack of substantial evidence linking Saraswati to the alleged acts, suggesting that allegations often stemmed from innocent interactions like applying colors during Holi.
The court was also informed that the case initially came to light after an email from an Indian Air Force group captain detailing Saraswati’s alleged misconduct. The investigating officer reported that crucial WhatsApp chats could not be retrieved due to the ‘disappearing messages’ feature being activated, leaving only screenshots as evidence. Furthermore, the officer mentioned that three women were allegedly involved in pressuring students to delete evidence.
The bail hearing has been scheduled for October 27.