India, Sept. 27 -- NEW DELHI

A Delhi court on Friday denied interim protection to self-proclaimed monk and former chairman of a Delhi management college, Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, who is accused of molesting over 17 female students, besides cases of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The order denying his anticipatory bail was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Courts.

The court said, "Investigation of the present case is at a nascent stage and IO (investigating officer) requires custodial interrogation of applicant/accused to establish the entire chain of fraud, cheating, conspiracy and misappropriation of funds".

The court, calling the offence grave and the allegations as serious, noted that as pe...