Allahabad High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To Swami Avimukteshwaranand In Prayagraj POCSO Case

The Allahabad High Court today granted anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in the Prayagraj POCSO Case

On February 27, a bench of Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha reserved orders on his anticipatory bail plea and had directed that Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciple shall not be arrested until the final disposal of the anticipatory bail application.

It may be noted that Swami Avimukteshwaranand is facing serious charges under the POCSO Act and BNS over alleged sexual abuse of minors during the recent Magh Mela.

The FIR was lodged on February 21 at the Jhunsi Police Station in Prayagraj at 23:37 hours, just hours after a Special POCSO Court in Prayagraj issued a directive to the concerned SHO to register the case 'forthwith'.

The FIR has invoked serious provisions under the POCSO ACT, including Sections 3, 5l, 4(2), 6, 16, 17, and 51. It may be noted that Section 5l r/w Section 6 pertains to the punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a child, for which the punishment is rigorous imprisonment not less than 20 years, which may extend to life imprisonment.

One Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj had approached the Special Judge after local police authorities allegedly failed to act on initial written complaints regarding the abuse made to the Station House Officer and the Commissioner of Police.

His application alleged that two minors (Victim 'A', aged about 14 years, and Victim 'B', aged about 17 years and 6 months) were subjected to sexual abuse by the accused persons during the period of Magh Mela, 2025-26, at Prayagraj.

It is alleged that the acts complained of were committed under the guise of religious service and discipleship.

Case citation: 2026 LiveLaw (AB) 140