SC refuses to interfere with anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand in POCSO case

The Supreme Court refused to interfere with an Allahabad High Court order granting anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in a POCSO case involving alleged sexual exploitation of young disciples. The top court dismissed the complainant's plea against the bail.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Allahabad High Court order granting anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in a case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh dismissed the plea of complainant Ashutosh Brahmachari.

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“Sorry, we are not going to interfere,” the bench said.

On March 25, the Allahabad High Court granted anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari in a case registered against them under the POCSO Act.

However, the high court restrained both the first informant and the applicants (Swami Avimukteshwaranand and the disciple) from making any statements before the media in this regard.

The court had directed both of them to cooperate with the investigation.

The case pertains to an FIR lodged at the Jhunsi police station in Prayagraj following directions from a POCSO court, alleging sexual exploitation of several ‘batuks’ (young disciples) by the accused.