Delhi Baba's Fraud Exposed: Forged UN Visiting Cards, Faked PMO Connection

Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, the self-styled 'godman' who was arrested for sexually harassing 17 women at an ashram in Delhi, has been exposed for many fraudulent activities, including forging visiting cards and passports. The police, during the investigation, found two fake visiting cards from the Baba - one identifying himself as a Permanent Ambassador of the United Nations and another as an Indian Special Envoy of the BRICS.

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According to the police, Chaitanyananda also faked a connection to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He used to make his associates call some people and claim that he was linked to the PMO to show his "status", they said.

The police found two passports obtained by Chaitanyananda using forged documents - one in the name of Swami Partha Sarathi and another as Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati. In the first passport, Baba listed his father's name as Swami Ghanananda Puri (which was the same on his PAN card) and his mother's name as Sharada Amba. The second passport mentioned his father's name as Swami Dayananda Saraswati and his mother's name as Sharada Ambal.

While one passport listed his place of birth as Darjeeling, the second one listed it as Tamil Nadu.

Investigation also revealed that Chaitanyananda had two bank accounts with the Union Bank of India - both under different names.

Officials said that in 1998, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor had allotted a plot in Vasant Kunj to Sharada Peeth to build a 'math'. During this time, Chaitanyananda was appointed as the 'math's senior official. In 2008, the Baba, in collusion with some other people, changed its name to Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management without permission. A property of the 'math' was also rented out without permission.

A fraud of Rs 40 crore was committed using forged documents, officials said.

Investigators also found three phones belonging to Chaitanyananda, one of which was an iPhone.

Police records showed Chaitanyananda evaded earlier molestation charges in 2009 and 2016, reportedly using his influence and network to avoid prosecution. In the current case, 17 women jointly lodged complaints in Delhi early August - following which the Baba was on the run. At the time, Chaitanyananda was believed to be in London but was later traced to Agra. According to officials, Baba also stayed in Vrindavan and Mathura and was hiding in religious places so no one could recognise him. He had changed more than 15 hotels, they said.

Chaitanyananda was arrested in Agra on Sunday morning after he was on the run for 50 days. He was facing complaints ranging from using abusive language, sending lewd text messages to women, and forced physical contact at the ashram in Delhi. The complainants, students, claimed that some wardens working at the management institute had introduced them to the Baba who used to call them to his room, and lure them with free foreign trips. He had also secretly installed cameras in the women's hostel.

A woman who filed a molestation case against the self-styled 'godman' in 2016 said he "had vulture-like eyes" on her. According to the first information report (FIR) filed by her, the woman, who was then aged 20, said she dropped out of the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management in just eight months.

"It was the most difficult period of my life. As soon as I joined the institute, Baba started sending me obscene messages. He called me "baby" and "sweet girl." After classes ended at 6:30 pm, he would call me to his office and harass me," she said.

After these accusations surfaced recently, the ashram administration expelled Chaitanyananda from his post.

Authored 28 books, 148 research papers

Chaitanyananda projected himself as a highly qualified management guru who authored 28 books featuring a foreword by Apple founder Steve Jobs and an appreciation message from Ban Ki-Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations. The text on the author profile on one of his books says that the US President Barack Obama referred to Chaitanyananda's book 'Transforming Personality' during his election campaign "a number of times" and the book was one of the best sellers in the European and North American markets in 2007.

Chaitanyananda's profile on academic research-sharing platforms states that he holds an MBA and a PhD from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. It also claims that he had completed post-doctoral degrees and DLitt, and that he holds seven honorary DLitt degrees from Universities in India and abroad.

However, Delhi police sources have said they suspect many of these claims are fake.