Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has moved the Allahabad High Court seeking anticipatory bail after the Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against him for allegedly sexually abusing two minors during the recent Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
The case was filed against the religious leader and his aide, Mukundanand Giri, on the directions of a special court in Prayagraj. On February 21, the court ordered police action based on a complaint by Ashutosh Brahmachari and two minors, aged 14 and 17, who accused the swami of sexual abuse.
Advocate Anjani Kumar Mishra, representing the swami, confirmed that a bail application has been submitted before the High Court.
Responding to the allegations, the swami said he is ready to cooperate with the investigation and claimed he is being falsely implicated. He alleged that the police and district administration are acting in collusion, citing photographs purportedly showing a senior Prayagraj police officer cutting a cake with Ashutosh Brahmachari.
He also questioned the delay in police action, stating that under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, an FIR must be registered immediately and medical examinations conducted without delay. He expressed shock that no prompt action was taken when the minors first approached the authorities.
Earlier, the swami had been involved in a prolonged dispute with the Prayagraj district administration over alleged assaults on his followers during Mauni Amavasya on January 18. The administration issued two notices to him — one questioning his use of the “Shankaracharya” title and another accusing him of creating a “stampede-like situation” at the crowded fair.
Additionally, the swami alleged that a family from Shahjahanpur told him they were pressured by a person named Ashutosh Maharaj to file a false complaint and were threatened when they refused.
