Prayagraj: Complainant in sexual abuse case against seer attacked with razor on train

Ashutosh Brahmachari, who had accused Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of sexual exploitation, was allegedly attacked with a razor by an unidentified person on a train near Sirathu station. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to Prayagraj for medical examination.

Prayagraj: Ashutosh Brahmachari, who had filed a complaint alleging that Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati sexually exploited students at his ashram, was attacked by an unidentified person with a razor on a train here on Sunday morning, police said.

According to a Government Railway Police (GRP) official, Ashutosh alleged that he was travelling to Prayagraj by the Rewa Express when the incident occurred.

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The officer said that when the train was approaching Sirathu station in the morning, Ashutosh went to the toilet, where an unidentified person allegedly attacked him with a razor.

He sustained minor injuries in the incident and was sent to Calvin Hospital in Prayagraj for a medical examination, the officer added.

Based on the medical examination report, a case will be registered, the officer said.

The CCTV footage from the spot is also being examined to identify the attacker. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation, he added.

On February 21, an FIR was lodged against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari over allegations of sexual abuse of two persons, including a minor, over the past year, including during the Magh Mela. The action was taken after an order passed earlier that day by the Special Judge (POCSO Act), Prayagraj, directing that a case be registered on an application moved by Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj and others.

According to officials, the FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Besides Avimukteshwaranand and Mukundanand Brahmachari, two to three unidentified persons have also been named in the complaint.

According to the FIR, the complainants included Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj, a disciple of Swami Rambhadracharya, and two persons, including a minor, who alleged sexual abuse at a gurukul and during religious congregations.

The complainants had alleged that the accused, posing as religious preceptors, subjected the minor and another youth to repeated sexual assault on multiple occasions over the past year.