The Allahabad High Court on Friday granted Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati a significant reprieve by staying his arrest for three weeks in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The order, passed by a bench led by Justice J.K. Sinha, also allows the police to question him as part of the ongoing investigation, but bars any coercive action until the next hearing, which is likely in the third week of March.
Court Orders Stay On Arrest
The High Court’s interim order came on an anticipatory bail plea filed by Avimukteshwaranand and his associate, Mukundanand Brahmachari, in connection with an FIR registered at Jhunsi police station in Prayagraj. The FIR was lodged following allegations of sexual exploitation involving two minor boys at the seer’s religious camp during the recent Magh Mela and Maha Kumbh events.
At the hearing, the court noted that before granting any protective order, it needed to balance the petitioner’s rights with the seriousness of the allegations. After hearing arguments from both sides, it directed that neither Avimukteshwaranand nor Mukundanand should be arrested until the next hearing, although police may continue questioning them as part of the probe. The detailed order is expected to be uploaded to the court’s website later.
Case Background And Next Steps
The FIR in the case was registered on a Pocso court’s direction earlier this month after a petition by Ashutosh Brahmachari, alleging “serious cognizable offences” against the spiritual leader and his disciple. Police are conducting medical examinations of the complainants and recording statements as part of the investigation.
While the High Court’s interim protection provides temporary relief from arrest, the substantive merits of the anticipatory bail application will be decided at a later date. Until then, Avimukteshwaranand is expected to cooperate with the ongoing police inquiry.
