Allahabad High Court Directs UP Police Not To Arrest Swami Avimukteshwaranand In POCSO Case

The Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered that Uttar Pradesh Police must not arrest Swami Avimukteshwaranand in relation to a child sexual abuse complaint under investigation at Jhunsi Police Station in Prayagraj.

The bench also ensured that no coercive steps would be taken against him until the matter is heard again.

This development comes after an earlier order passed by Special POCSO Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia. He had directed the Jhunsi Police to register an FIR on the basis of a complaint filed by Ashutosh Brahmachari.

The allegations fall within the ambit of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Responding to the accusations, Swami Avimukteshwaranand cast doubts on the complainant’s integrity, alleging that Brahmachari had a criminal record.

“Filing a case is appropriate because once the case is registered, further investigation and evidence gathering will take place, and the truth about the false case filed against us will come to light,” he further added.

The seer stated that once an FIR is registered, the investigative process would proceed formally and, according to him, expose what he described as false claims. He further accused the complainant of habitually filing fabricated cases to extract money.

Police Inquiry and Preliminary Report

Earlier, the Special POCSO Court had ordered a further inquiry into the matter. The direction followed an examination of a preliminary investigation report submitted by Prayagraj Police Commissioner Jogendra Kumar.

Separately, Ashutosh Brahmachari addressed a press conference in Prayagraj.

During the briefing, he levelled a series of allegations regarding activities at an ashram. He identified several individuals, including Mukundananda Brahmachari, Arvind, and Prakash Upadhyay, as allegedly being linked to the matter.

Additionally, he questioned the use of the title ‘Shankaracharya’ for the seer, referring to a purported Supreme Court directive on the issue.

The case will now proceed with further legal scrutiny as the investigation continues.

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