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Sexual harassment case: HC grants anticipatory bail to Avimukteshwaranand, disciple
The applicants, victims and the first informant were directed not to give any interview to the media regarding the present case during pendency of the investigation/trial
The Allahabad high court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari in a case registered against them under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
The judgment was passed by justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha on the anticipatory bail application moved by Avimukteshwaranand and Mukundanand.
The applicants, victims and the first informant were directed not to give any interview to the media regarding the present case during pendency of the investigation/trial.
The court further directed that the applicants shall not leave India without prior permission of the court.
According to the court’s order, the victims did not disclose the alleged incident to their parents but they narrated the same to Ashutosh Brahmachari, who was a stranger to them which is unusual and not consistent with a normal course of human conduct.
The court also took note of the delay in lodging the FIR. While the incident was allegedly disclosed to the informant on January 18, 2026, the police were not notified until six days later, on January 24.
On the medical report of the victims, the court said that the medical report as prepared by the doctor does not find any external injury on the body of the victims and it has been opined that the sexual assault cannot be ruled out and FSL report has been sought, which clearly shows that a conclusive finding has not been given by the doctor regarding commission of sexual assault on the victims.
The court took into account discrepancies regarding the age of one of the victims and the timeline of the alleged offence.
Justice Sinha took serious note of the interviews of the victims and said that the victims were interviewed by various Hindi news channels, a direct violation of the established procedures under the Pocso Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, which mandate the protection of the identity and privacy of minors.
The court also noted the timing of the allegations, which coincided with a dispute between the applicant and the administration regarding bathing rituals at the Sangam on Mauni Amavasya (January 18, 2026), advising that the facts be “looked into with greater care and caution.”
The court while allowing the application observed, “Considering the factual matrix, including the lack of medical corroboration, the unnatural conduct of the victims, procedural lapses, and the delay in lodging the FIR, a case for grant of anticipatory bail was made out,” without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.
On February 21, an FIR was registered against Swami Avimukteshwaranand at police station - Jhunsi of Prayagraj after an order dated February 21 passed by the additional sessions judge / special judge (Pocso Act), Prayagraj on an application moved before him seeking direction to the police authorities to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand and his disciple in the matter.
(With input from Agencies)
