The Allahabad highcourt on Friday reserved its order on Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari’s anticipatory bail application in a case registered against them under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The court stayed their arrest until the order is pronounced in the anticipatory bail plea, while directing that the investigation shall continue and they will cooperate in the probe.
These religious leaders are accused of sexually exploiting two minor children (batuks) in their camp at the recently concluded Magh Mela in Prayagraj. They, however, denied the allegations and termed the case against them as false.
While reserving the order in the anticipatory bail application of Swami Avimukteshwaranand and his disciple, Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha directed that the parties may file their written submissions along with the relevant case laws by March 12.
After hearing both sides, the court directed, “Till the disposal of this application, the applicants shall not be arrested in the aforesaid criminal case at police station Jhunsi, Prayagraj, and they are directed to co-operate in the investigation and the investigation shall continue.”
Earlier, the FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand was lodged at Jhunsi police station of Prayagraj after a February 21 order passed by the additional sessions judge / special judge (POCSO Act), Prayagraj.
The judge had passed the order on an application seeking direction to the police to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwarnanand and his disciple in the matter.
{{/usCountry}}The judge had passed the order on an application seeking direction to the police to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwarnanand and his disciple in the matter.
{{/usCountry}}The Pocso court had directed registration of the FIR on a petition filed by one Ashutosh Mahraj, one of the plaintiffs in the Krishna Janmbhoomi-Shahi Eidgah title dispute case. Ashutosh Maharaj had alleged sexual abuse of minor boys in Avimukteshwaranand’s camp at the recently concluded Magh Mela.
In his petition, Ashutosh Mahraj had alleged that during the Magh Mela, when he was sitting in his camp, the two minor boys had approached him. They alleged their sexual exploitation at Swami Avimukteshwaranand’s camp. Perturbed over it, he approached the police authorities of Prayagraj to lodge an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand regarding this matter. However, when no FIR was lodged, he moved an application before the Pocso court at Prayagraj, Ashutosh Maharaj claimed.