Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati moves Allahabad HC seeking anticipatory bail in POCSO case
The Hindu
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati seeks anticipatory bail in Allahabad HC amid POCSO case allegations of sexual harassment against minors.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) moved the Allahabad High Court seeking anticipatory bail after being booked for alleged sexual harassment of minor children and other offences.
A notice has been sent to the office of the government advocate in this regard, before filing the application in court, sources said.
The FIR was lodged at the Jhunsi police station in Prayagraj against Mr. Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari over allegations of sexual abuse of two persons, including a minor, over the past year.
According to the FIR, the complainants included Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj and two other persons— one of them a minor— who alleged sexual abuse by the accused at a gurukul and during religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
The action on Saturday (February 21, 2026) followed an order passed by the special judge (POCSO Act), Prayagraj, directing that a case be registered on the application moved by Mr. Ashutosh Brahmachari and others.
The FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the BNS, officials said.
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