India, Oct. 10 -- Self-styled monk Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, accused of molesting 17 students of a private management institute, moved a bail plea before a Delhi court on Thursday, alleging that the complainants were "tutored" and had framed him because of his enforcement of "strict discipline" at the institute.

In his plea, filed through advocate Manish Gandhi, Saraswati claimed he had no direct interaction with students as he served only as the chairman-cum-managing director of the institute. "The applicant's role was confined to policy-making, vision and overall guidance, ensuring the institute upheld the highest standards of education, discipline and research," the plea stated.

Saraswati, 62, is named as an accused in five cri...