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The Allahabad High Court connected Wednesday (March 25, 2026) granted anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, successful a lawsuit registered against him successful Prayagraj nether the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Noting respective inconsistencies and procedural concerns, the tribunal held that extortion from apprehension was warranted astatine this stage.
The FIR against Mr. Saraswati and 1 of his aides, Mukundanand Giri, was registered connected the directions of a peculiar tribunal successful Prayagraj. On February 21, the tribunal ordered the constabulary to enactment connected a ailment filed by Ashutosh Brahmachari and 2 minors, aged 14 and 17, who alleged intersexual maltreatment by the accused during the caller Magh Mela successful Prayagraj. The proceedings were initiated aft a petition was filed earlier the Special Judge alleging inaction by section constabulary connected anterior written complaints addressed to elder officials.
The spiritual person termed the lawsuit against him arsenic ‘politically motivated’ and that helium has been falsely implicated. He moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail successful the matter. Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha had antecedently granted interim bail to Mr. Saraswati and Mr. Giri past month. He, connected Wednesday (March 25), announced the last bid connected the anticipatory bail.
‘Conduct of victims’
The tribunal noted a hold successful the reporting of the case. It said the informant claimed the incidental happened connected January 18, but the ailment was lodged lone 6 days later. An earlier ailment filed connected January 21 had made nary notation of the alleged intersexual offences, the tribunal observed.
The tribunal recovered it important that the minors were not placed successful the custody of their parents oregon due authorities until precocious February. They had remained with the informant for a sizeable period. It besides remarked that the victims’ statements contained variations regarding the clip and spot of occurrence, with references extending beyond the play and determination mentioned successful the FIR.
Another origin that the tribunal noted was the behaviour surrounding the case, including media interviews fixed by some the accused and the victims. The tribunal described specified exposures arsenic inconsistent with established safeguards nether the POCSO framework.
Majority and inconclusive evidence
The aesculapian evidence, the tribunal observed, was inconclusive. While the aesculapian study did not regularisation retired intersexual assault, it recorded nary outer injuries and did not supply a definitive finding. The tribunal besides noted that aesculapian introspection of the accused had not been conducted. The tribunal besides took enactment of submissions that 1 of the alleged victims whitethorn person attained bulk during the play mentioned successful the FIR, and that acquisition records indicated the minors were not residing successful the accused’s ashram.
