Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has responded to the FIR registered against him following a POCSO court order, calling the complainant Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj a criminal.
Reacting to the case, Avimukteshwaranand said, “The lower court is the public. The public gives the verdict. The middle court is our heart. We know whether we are wrong or not. The Supreme Court is God, and God is watching who is right or wrong. Our conscience is clear. The truth will eventually come out, and the story that has been fabricated will be proven false sooner or later.”
‘CCTV Footage Should Be Checked’
The Shankaracharya demanded that CCTV footage be examined; claiming records would be available. He said, “CCTV should be retrieved, and the footage must be checked; everything would be recorded there. After the excesses by the police, we did not even enter the camp. Your cameras were also focused on us. A false impression is being spread that this happened in the gurukul; those children never even came to our gurukul. Some people have donned religious robes to destroy Sanatan Dharma and are actively carrying out their agenda.”
Statements Made in Varanasi
Speaking in Varanasi, Avimukteshwaranand further alleged that certain individuals were attempting to harm Sanatan Dharma. He questioned claims about video evidence, saying it was being falsely portrayed, and alleged that efforts were being made to bring the Shankaracharya under someone’s influence.
An FIR has been registered against Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in Jhunsi police station in Prayagraj in connection with alleged sexual exploitation of children. His disciple Mukundanand has also been named in the case, which has been filed under the POCSO Act. The Prayagraj POCSO court had on Saturday ordered the registration of the case after Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj, a disciple of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, presented two children before the court and levelled serious allegations of sexual abuse.
Following the registration of the FIR, Avimukteshwaranand reiterated that Ashutosh Brahmachari had multiple cases against him and a criminal history. Responding to this, the complainant said the Shankaracharya should publicly present evidence from any police station or court to prove such claims.
After the case was registered, Jhunsi police reached Varanasi to collect evidence and may question the Shankaracharya, sources said. Police may also question the alleged victims and the accused and could visit the Shankaracharya’s ashram as part of the investigation.
