Court orders FIR against Avimukteshwaranand under POCSO Act

A special POCSO court, Prayagraj on Saturday ordered the Jhunsi Police Station SHO to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of boys. Last week, the court of Special Judge (POCSO Act) Vinod Kumar Chaurasia reserved its decision on an application filed by Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj and others under Section 173(4) of the BNS after examining the evidence and recording the statements of the victimised 'batooks', the boys, as they are called at the ashram, Vidya Math. The petitioner had filed the application seeking direction for an FIR against Avimukteshwaranand under sections 69, 74, 75, 76, 79, and 109 (all related to sexual assault) of the BNS, as well as sections 3/5/9 and 17 of the POCSO Act. The court accepted the petition and ordered the police to conduct an investigation. "Now we will get justice," Ashutosh Brahmachari said. "There is ample evidence of child abuse there. We have presented all the evidence to the court and will also provide it to the police," he said.
Reacting to the court order seer said, “Yes, it is appropriate. Only when a case is registered will the subsequent process of investigation and recording of testimony be completed. Only then will the truth of the false case filed against us come before everyone, and those responsible for doing this can be punished. Therefore, it is necessary. We would only say that the court should proceed with this at a faster pace without taking too much time, as many people are watching this matter.

VIDEO | Varanasi: Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda reacts to the Prayagraj court order, saying, “Yes, it is appropriate. Only when a case is registered will the subsequent process of investigation and recording of testimony be completed. Only then will the truth of the false… pic.twitter.com/2BbzaHpjTV

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 21, 2026

The move comes amid a backdrop of controversy surrounding Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati. Last month, the seer claimed he was prevented from taking a ritual dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, leading him to stage an 11-day sit-in protest. Speaking to reporters in Varanasi, he said, “When I sat there for 11 days, no official asked me to take a dip. Now it is too late. I will go to the Magh Mela next year and take a respectful bath.” The seer had also urged Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to stop beef exports from the state and declare the cow as ‘Rajya Mata’, calling it a measure of the government’s commitment as a “Hindu sympathiser."