LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, stating that the seer would not be arrested until the chargesheet in the alleged child sexual abuse case is filed by the police authorities.
The Shankaracharya had filed a petition for anticipatory bail on February 24 in connection with allegations of sexual harassment of young students (batuks).
While granting bail to the seer, the single-judge bench comprising Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha imposed several conditions.
The most prominent condition is that both parties, the Shankaracharya and complainant Ashutosh Maharaj, will neither make statements nor give interviews.
“If the bail conditions are violated, the other party can file a bail cancellation application,” the court said.
During the pronouncement of the verdict, the Shankaracharya’s lawyers urged the court to restrain the complainant from moving around with children and making statements during such visits.
On this, the court said that it should not be violated.
It may be recalled that the Allahabad High Court had stayed the Shankaracharya’s arrest on February 27 in the sexual harassment case.
Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha had then said that the seer would not be arrested until the order to that effect was delivered, and had asked him to cooperate with the police authorities in the investigation.
The Shankaracharya was represented in court by advocate PN Mishra, while Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal appeared on behalf of the state government. Complainant Ashutosh Maharaj’s lawyer Reena Singh also made submissions.
Ashutosh Brahmachari, a disciple of Tulsipeethadhishwar Swami Rambhadracharya, had filed a petition in the district court on February 8 this year.
Following the order of Judge (Rape and POCSO Special Court) Vinod Kumar Chaurasia, the Jhansi police registered an FIR on February 21 against Swami Avimukteshwaranand on charges including sodomy.
Significantly, a dispute had erupted between the seer and the Magh Mela administration on January 18, Mauni Amavasya, at the Prayagraj Magh Mela over the Maha Snan, as authorities had stopped the seer from proceeding towards the nose of the Sangam on a palanquin due to the massive rush of devotees.
Eight days later, on January 24, Ashutosh Maharaj approached the Prayagraj Police Commissioner with a complaint against the seer, alleging sexual exploitation of children, the batuks, during Magh Mela-2026 and Mahakumbh-2025.
Alleging inaction by the police, a petition was filed in the Special POCSO Court on February 8. On February 13, two children were presented before the court, and their statements were recorded on February 21. On the court’s order, an FIR was registered at a Jhansi police station on the same day.
In the FIR, the Shankaracharya, his disciple Mukundanand, and two to three unidentified individuals were named as accused.
On February 24, the Shankaracharya accused Prayagraj Additional Commissioner Ajay Pal Sharma of conspiracy and also filed an anticipatory bail application in the Allahabad High Court.