UP Crime News 2026: Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteswarananda booked for sexual abuse under POCSO

• A case has been registered against Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteswarananda Saraswati and his disciple Mukundananda Giri
• Very serious allegations of rape and sexual abuse against Swami Avimukteswarananda
• The police have registered an offense under Sections 3, 4(2), 5, 6, 16 and 17 of the POCSO Act (2012) as well as Section 351(3) of the Indian Penal Code.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand FIR: A case has been registered in Jhunsi police station against Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteswaranand Saraswati, head of Jyotish Peetha in Prayagraj. After a strict order by the ADJ (rape and POCSO) special court, the police took action under several serious sections of the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code. While hearing the case on February 21, the court accepted the applicant’s application and ordered the police to register a case immediately. (Crime news)

Magistrate has no power to order deletion of text; Bombay High Court’s decision upheld by the Supreme Court

Additional District Judge (POCSO) Vinod Kumar Chaurasia has directed to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteswarananda Saraswati and his disciple Mukundananda Giri. The court has ordered the police to register a case and start investigation. At the root of this entire controversy is a complaint filed by Ashutosh Brahmachari, a disciple of Swami Ramabhadracharya and head of Shakumbhari Peethadhiseshwara. According to the complainant, during the Magh Mela, a minor and an adult boy approached him and made very serious allegations of rape against Swami Avimukteswarananda.

Ashutosh Brahmachari alleges that a complaint was filed on behalf of these victims in the Jhunsi police station before, but even after a long period of time, the police delayed registering the FIR. Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the district court under section 173(4) on January 28. In the hearing held in the district court, the court has ordered to register a case against Swami Avimukteswaranand.

Beed Crime: Vaishnavi Hagwane case repeated! The extreme step of the married woman, fed up with the constant harassment

Legal pressure on Shankaracharya and his disciples

In the FIR lodged at the Jhunsi police station, a case has been registered only against Swami Avimukteswaranand Saraswati along with his disciple Mukdanand Brahmachari and two or three other unidentified persons. The police have imposed very serious sections in this case. Apart from Section 351(3) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 2023, a case has been registered under Sections 3, 4(2), 5, 6, 16 and 17 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), 2012. Sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act in particular deal with “aggravated gender-based sexual harassment”, which carries the harshest punishment under the law.

This high-profile case of Swami Avimukteswarananda has created a sensation not only in Prayagraj but also in the religious and spiritual world across the country. According to Prayagraj police officials, evidence is being collected after the FIR has been filed. During the investigation, the complainants claimed that the victims made several shocking revelations. Meanwhile, the police are currently recording the statements of the victims. The case is likely to reignite the debate over child safety and discipline among religious institutions.