- Chaitanyananda Saraswati was arrested for sexually assaulting students at his institute in Delhi
- 3 women aides, including the institute's ex-associate dean Sweta Sharma, were also arrested for coercion
- Call recordings reveal women aides pressured students to meet Chaitanyananda in hotel rooms
As the investigation deepens into the sexual assault allegations against self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati, NDTV has accessed call recordings that point to how Chaitanyananda's women accomplices summoned targets and asked them to visit hotel rooms.
In some of the recorded conversations, women are heard saying they can't meet the Baba because their "periods are on", but they are told not to make "excuses".
Sixty-two-year-old Chaitanyananda, who was heading the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research in Delhi's Vasant Kunj, was arrested last month after shocking allegations of him sexually assaulting students of the institute emerged. Three of his women aides, including Sweta Sharma, the institute's former associate dean, have also been arrested. Sweta Sharma is accused of forcing women students to visit Chaitanyananda in hotel rooms.
The women have also alleged threats that their academic documents and degrees would be withheld if they did not respond to the self-styled godman's advances.
Chaitanyananda, it is learnt, would put up in five-star hotels and his aides would identify and persuade his targets to go to him. The woman would be told that the Baba has booked a fabulous room for her and that she would need to spend the night with him there. Those who refused would be told their "turn has come". This would happen during trips on which the students were forced to accompany Chaitanyananda. So the target would be told that if she said no, her hotel booking would be cancelled and she would have to book a hotel at her own cost. Most of the Baba's victims were from underprivileged families, and such threats would put them under immense pressure.
A call recording accessed by NDTV proceeds like this. One voice, it is alleged, belongs to Sweta Sharma. The other is a woman, she is prepping for a tryst with the Baba.
Sweta: Tomorrow, when both of you leave the office, I will send you the hotel's name. You have to go there. Swamiji has come. You have to meet him for dinner. He has booked a room for you. You will stay the night and go to the office from there.
Woman: Ok, Ma'am
Sweta: So, when you leave for the office tomorrow, take your clothes.
In another audio recording that NDTV has accessed, Sweta Sharma asks a woman not to "make excuses" when she says she is on her periods.
Sweta: This is an excuse, useless!
Woman: No, ma'am, this is not an excuse. I am actually on my periods.
Sweta: This is an excuse. You want to avoid the meeting because you fear Swamiji will scold you and deduct your marks. You can make your own staying arrangements.
Woman: Ma'am, I am actually on periods. Why would we lie? What can I do? I will send a photograph of my pad. What else can I do?
The call recordings capture the harrowing experience students of the institute went through and the role of the women staff in coercing the Baba's targets.
White To Saffron, And Frequent Name-Change
Partha Sarathi Rudra to Br Parthasarathy to Swami Parthsarathy to Chaitanyananda Saraswati - this self-styled godman changed his name multiple times. His old photos show him in white robes, while his more recent ones show him in saffron. The probe has also found that he was removed from Ramakrishna Mission for alleged financial irregularities.
Chaitanyananda also claims he holds an MBA and a PhD from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and that he holds seven honorary DLitt degrees from Universities in India and abroad.
Sources in the Delhi Police have said they suspect many of these claims are fake, and a thorough investigation is on to bust them. He also claimed in his profiles that he is an "internationally acclaimed writer" who has authored 28 titles and 143 research papers.
