Delhi Police Probe ‘Torture Room’ at Vasant Kunj Institute

The Delhi Police are intensifying their investigation into a sensational case involving ‘Swami’ Chaitanyanand Saraswati, also known as Partha Sarathy, the director of a prominent management institute in the upmarket Vasant Kunj area. The investigation, which has gripped the capital, centers on allegations of sexual harassment against numerous female students and the chilling discovery of a space described as a ‘torture room’ within the premises.

The accused, who headed the Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management, was apprehended in Agra on September 28, following an FIR lodged by 17 women students alleging molestation and harassment. These students, many enrolled through the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) scholarship, claim the ‘Swami’ preyed on them for nearly two decades, threatening to fail them or reduce their grades if they resisted his advances.

The Dark Grip Uncovered

Central to the police probe is a specific location on the ground floor of the institute that has been termed the ‘torture room.’ Investigators allege this was where Chaitanyanand would summon female students for private meetings, often late at night. Following his arrest and subsequent five-day police custody order from the court, officers transported the accused back to the Vasant Kunj institute to physically reconstruct the sequence of events and interrogate him about the layout and his activities.

CCTVs Under Scrutiny

A crucial element of the investigation is the examination of the institute’s extensive CCTV camera network. Police are meticulously scrutinizing the positioning and accessibility of these cameras, particularly focusing on whether the ‘Baba’ had direct, possibly mobile, access to the footage. The intent is to determine how he might have used the surveillance system to monitor the movements and activities of the female students, potentially to facilitate his alleged criminal acts or to ensure he remained undetected. Allegations have also surfaced regarding the deletion of CCTV footage, leading the police to seize the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) and send it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for expert analysis and data recovery.

Complicity and Legal Battle

The scandal has widened to include the role of institute staff, with three wardens having their statements recorded by the police. These individuals are accused of aiding the ‘Swami’ in deleting incriminating digital communications. The police are now trying to piece together a comprehensive picture of the systematic abuse and the network of alleged support that allowed the actions to continue.

During his court appearance, the defence counsel for Chaitanyanand argued that the case was hollow, citing his client’s status as a senior citizen with health issues like diabetes. However, the police counsel countered by alleging that a witness had been threatened, underscoring the severity of the charges and the perceived risk of intimidation. The current police custody is vital for recovering evidence and gathering further testimony to build an irrefutable case against the high-profile accused, whose dark grip over the institution and its students is now being forcibly unraveled.