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Shankaracharya sues Govindananda Saraswati for calling him ‘fake baba’; Delhi HC responds
Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati filed a civil defamation suit against Govindanand Saraswati on Monday, following allegations that he is a “fake baba”.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday issued a notice about an interim injunction in a defamation case filed by Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati against Govindanand Saraswati.
The bench led by Justice Navin Chawla said saints should not worry about defamation and suggested that respect and reputation come from actions, not legal fights.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati filed a civil defamation suit against Govindanand Saraswati on Monday, following allegations that he is a “fake baba” and has received political backing from the Congress party.
“These are in bad taste. I think he is just frustrated, but I don't think there is any defamation. You are a saint. Why are you worried about this? Saints should not be worried about all of this. They can’t be defamed by any of this. Saints command respect through their own deeds,” Bar and Bench quoted Justice Navin Chawla as addressing the counsel for Avimukteshwaranand.
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At the conclusion of the hearing, the court issued a notice regarding the interim injunction application and scheduled the case for further hearing on August 29.
Avimukteshwaranand's lawyer argued that Govindanand made several damaging statements, including calling him a “farzi baba,” “dhongi baba,” and “chor baba.”
He also said that Govindanand accused Avimukteshwaranand of serious criminal activities, including kidnapping, being a history-sheeter, stealing ₹7,000 crore worth of gold, and having illicit relationships with Sadhvis.
The counsel for Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati clarified that although Govindanand Saraswati claimed there were criminal cases against Avimukteshwaranand, the only relevant case filed during the Akhilesh Yadav government was later withdrawn by the Yogi Adityanath government.
Swami Govindananda Saraswati recently made sensational allegations against Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. Govindananda claimed that Avimukteshwaranand was a "fake baba" and accused him of serious criminal activities, including murder and kidnapping.
He further criticised the media for referring to Avimukteshwaranand as a Shankaracharya, asserting that he is unworthy of titles such as sadhu, sant, or sanyasi.
With ANI inputs
