Prayagraj: A major controversy has erupted in Prayagraj following the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The FIR, lodged at Jhusi police station, also names his disciple Mukundanand and two to three unidentified persons. The case was registered following directions issued by the Prayagraj POCSO court on a petition filed by Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj, a disciple of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya.
According to Jhusi police station in-charge Mahesh Mishra, the FIR was registered after the court ordered police action based on the allegations presented before it. The petitioner, Ashutosh Brahmachari, produced two minor children before the court and levelled serious allegations of sexual abuse. The statements of the children were recorded before the court through videography, as per prescribed legal procedures. After hearing the matter, the POCSO court reserved its order and subsequently directed the registration of an FIR, leading to police action.
The case has attracted widespread attention not only due to the stature of the accused Shankaracharya but also because of the sharp counter-allegations that followed soon after the court’s decision. Reacting strongly, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati categorically denied all allegations, terming the case “completely fabricated” and “politically and personally motivated.”
Speaking to the media, the Shankaracharya claimed that the complainant, Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj, has a criminal background and is a “history-sheeter.” He alleged that as many as 21 cases have been registered against Ashutosh in the past under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and several special laws. According to documents cited by the Shankaracharya’s side, these cases reportedly include serious charges such as rioting, attempt to murder, extortion, cheating, forgery, rape, cyber offences, and violations under special Acts such as the Gangster Act, UP Goonda Act, Prevention of Corruption Act, and Cow Slaughter Act.
Legal records, as claimed by the Shankaracharya’s supporters, mention multiple IPC sections including Sections 147, 148, and 149 (rioting and unlawful assembly), Section 153A (promoting enmity between groups), Section 307 (attempt to murder), Sections 376 and 376D (rape and gang rape), Sections 386 and 389 (extortion), Section 420 (cheating), Sections 466 to 471 (forgery-related offences), and Sections 506 and 509 (criminal intimidation and insult to modesty of a woman). In addition, provisions of the IT Act related to cyber fraud and obscenity have also reportedly been invoked in past cases against the complainant.
The Shankaracharya further alleged that the FIR is an outcome of a long-standing ideological and public dispute between him and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya. “We have had a constant war of words with Rambhadracharya, and everyone knows this,” he said. He claimed that the case was filed to silence him for raising his voice against the government on issues related to cow protection. “This is an attempt to stop us from speaking in defence of cows and Sanatan values,” he alleged.
Emphasising his faith in the judicial process, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati stated that he would fully cooperate with the investigation. “There is a court procedure, and we will cooperate with it completely. The truth will come out. A fabricated case will remain fabricated,” he said, while also urging that the investigation be completed as quickly as possible. He added that since the police function under the government, an impartial and time-bound probe is essential to ensure justice.
Meanwhile, the police have maintained that they are acting strictly in accordance with the court’s directions and the law. Officials have stated that the investigation will proceed on the basis of evidence, statements, and legal provisions, without being influenced by public statements or counter-allegations.
