POCSO FIR : Sexual Abuse Charge Fabricated : Swami Avimukteshwaranand

February 23, 2026

Prayagraj : Swami Avimukteshwaranand, his disciple Mukudanand Brahmachari and three unidentified people were booked under Pocso Act on Sunday for the alleged sexual exploitation of two minor boys at his camp over the past year. Pocso Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia had on Saturday ordered Jhunsi police station to lodge an FIR against Avimukteshwaranand and others on a complaint filed by Shankuri Peethadheshwar Ashutosh Maharaj, a plaintiff in the Krishna Janmabhoomi–Shahi Eidgah title dispute.

Ashutosh Maharaj alleged that he organised a ‘maha yajna’ at his camp during Magh Mela, where two minor boys approached him and accused Avimukteshwaranand. Jhunsi SHO Mahesh Mishra told TOI that the FIR was registered under section 351(3) of BNS (criminal intimidation) and sections 5, 6, 3, 4(2), 16 and 17 of Pocso Act. Ashutosh Maharaj also alleged that Avimukteshwaranand, who proclaims himself to be a Shankaracharya, sexually assaulted the boys at his gurukul in the name of education (shiksha) and service (sewa).

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia, who presides over a court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, directed police to conduct a fair and independent probe in compliance with the provisions of the Act, and to also protect the identity and dignity of the victims. The order came while hearing a plea by Shakumbhari Peethadhishwar Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj, seeking registration of an FIR against the religious leader who was accused of forcing himself on minor children at the ashram under the pretext of ‘guru seva’.

The court noted that the applicant’s allegations are supported by sworn affidavits and were examined in an initial enquiry by the Prayagraj Police Commissioner. During this enquiry, both victims told the police that they were sexually abused by the accused on or about January 18, 2026, during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj. The Magh Mela is an annual religious fair in which devotees assemble for a holy dip at Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

The court noted that the applicant’s allegations are supported by sworn affidavits and were examined in an initial enquiry by the Prayagraj Police Commissioner. During this enquiry, both victims told the police that they were sexually abused by the accused on or about January 18, 2026, during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj. It is alleged that Mr. Saraswati committed these acts while pretending to provide religious service and guidance as in a relationship between a guru and his disciple.