English
English
English
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the arrest of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand and reserved its decision in the POCSO case. Both sides engaged in heated debate during the hearing. The case is related to the Magh Mela controversy and the FIR filed.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda gets major relief from the High Court (Image Source: Internet)
Prayagraj: Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati has received major relief from the Allahabad High Court. The court has temporarily stayed his arrest and reserved its decision in the case. After the order was announced, the courtroom erupted in applause. This case relates to an FIR filed under the POCSO Act, in which serious allegations have been leveled against the Shankaracharya and his disciples, among others.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal, representing the state government, questioned the maintainability of the petition. He argued that anticipatory bail cannot be applied directly to the High Court and must be applied to the lower court. He also cited several Supreme Court decisions.
Meanwhile, Shankaracharya's lawyer argued that the case involved extraordinary circumstances and the petition should be accepted. The court commented on this, stating that this was not a mandatory obstacle.
Shankaracharya's side also stated that a complaint of assault was initially filed on January 18th, the new moon day, but no case was filed. Subsequently, a POCSO complaint was filed, creating confusion. The defense alleged that the entire case was filed as part of a conspiracy.
Big relief to Swami Avimukteshwaranand: Allahabad High Court bench of Justice Jitendra Sinha grants protection from arrest for 3 weeks in sexual exploitation case. Order reserved on anticipatory bail plea; no coercive action till pronouncement. Next hearing on March 15.
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) February 27, 2026
They also stated that the complainant has a criminal history and is facing serious charges. They also questioned why the alleged victim children were not handed over to the Child Welfare Committee in a timely manner and where their parents are. The court sought a response from the government on this matter.
An FIR was registered at the Jhunsi police station on the orders of the POCSO Court of the Allahabad District Court. Additional District Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia of the POCSO Court directed the police to conduct a fair investigation and also ordered the protection of the identity and dignity of the victims.
The government stated that the children have been handed over to their parents through the Child Welfare Committee.
This entire controversy began on the day of Mauni Amavasya during the Magh Mela. Shankaracharya alleged that the administration prevented him and his disciples from going to the bathing ghats and treated them disrespectfully. In protest, he staged a sit-in for 11 days, but when no solution was found, he left the fair on January 28th and returned to Kashi.
The hearing in the case is currently ongoing, and the final decision of the High Court is awaited.
