Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati moves Allahabad HC, seeks anticipatory bail in POCSO case

Prayagraj (The Uttam Hindu): Swami Avimukteshwarananda has filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Allahabad High Court regarding the case registered under the POCSO Act at Jhunsi police station. His lawyer, Rajarshi Gupta, has sent a notice to the state government.

On Sunday, the Jhunsi police filed a case against Swami Avimukteshwarananda, his disciple Mukundanand, and four others on charges of raping minor children. Earlier on Saturday, the Special Judge (POCSO Court) had ordered the Jhunsi police to register the case and conduct a fair, independent, and speedy investigation.

Ashutosh Brahmachari filed a petition in court last month, demanding the registration of a case. The petition alleged that minor boys were raped during the Maha Kumbh. After recording the statements of the victims, the court directed the Police Commissioner to investigate the matter and submit a report.

The court stated in its order that the statements of the victim children, statements of independent witnesses, the investigation report submitted by the Police Commissioner, and the examination of the collected material indicate that the allegations are of a serious nature. The order stated that the clear allegations of sexual harassment constitute a cognizable offense. Swami Avimukteshwarananda, through his lawyer, has challenged the FIR in the High Court, calling all the allegations baseless.