Bail granted to Swami Chaitanyanand in fake number plate case, but he will remain in jail

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Patiala House District Court in Delhi has granted bail to Chaitanyanand Saraswati in the case related to the use of a fake diplomatic number plate. Despite this relief, Swami Chaitanyanand will continue to remain in jail, as he is also facing a serious case related to molestation of female students.

During the hearing, the court raised serious questions over the working style of Delhi Police and termed the investigation as careless. Judicial Magistrate Animesh Kumar observed that the chargesheet filed by the police was prepared in a very casual and non-serious manner.

The court noted that the chargesheet does not clearly establish whether the accused himself had installed or arranged the fake number plate. It also pointed out that the driver who allegedly used to place the fake plate on the vehicle was not made an accused, and the police failed to investigate the source of the number plate. The court further remarked that there was no clear evidence to show whether the accused himself used the car.

While granting bail, the court stated that the maximum punishment in this case is up to seven years, and since the investigation is complete, the accused cannot be kept in jail indefinitely. The court clearly said that an accused cannot be punished for lapses in police investigation, and on this basis, bail was granted in this particular case.

The case was registered on 25 August 2025, when a Volvo car allegedly linked to the accused was found with a fake diplomatic number plate marked ‘39 UN 1’. However, Swami Chaitanyanand continues to face multiple serious charges, including molestation of students, alleged misuse of trust funds amounting to around ₹40 lakh per month, and other criminal cases. Due to these pending matters, he will not be released from jail despite getting bail in this case.