Uttar Pradesh POCSO court orders registration of FIR against Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati

A special court in Prayagraj on Saturday (February 21, 2026) ordered the Uttar Pradesh police to lodge a first information report (FIR) against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and one of his aides Mukundanand Giri, in connection with allegations that he sexually exploited two minor children, aged 14 and 17 years, at his ashram.

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’.

Sexual abuse during Magh Mela

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.

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. Hundreds of seers and religious leaders set up their camps at Sangam during that time and are thronged by millions of devotees.

The applicant said that complaints were made to the police authorities, including written complaints to the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, and the local Station House Officer. However, no FIR was registered, forcing the applicant to approach the Court for relief.

Political divide

Mr. Saraswati, who identifies himself as the Shankaracharya of the Uttarakhand-based Jyotirmath monastery, has been embroiled in several controversies in the past.

Most recently, he got into a confrontation with the Prayagraj district administration over alleged assaults on his followers on the day of Mauni Amavasya snan during the Magh Mela. This fell on January 18, which is also the date of his alleged abuse of the minor children. Mr. Saraswati was served with two notices by the mela authorities, which runs the fair. The first questioned why he used the ‘Shankaracharya’ title which was barred by the top court, while the second accused him of breaking barriers and creating law and order problems during the fair, causing a “stampede-like situation”.

The blame game escalated between the Mela authorities and Mr. Saraswati, with political parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, and several religious leaders, coming out in open support of Mr. Saraswati. However, he was openly criticised by U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.