POCSO Court Hears Plea to Halt Swami Avimukteshwaranand’s ‘Gau Pratishtha Dharmyudh Yatra’; Order Reserved
By Rajesh Pandey
Prayagraj: A fresh petition seeking to restrain the ongoing ‘Gau Pratishtha Dharmyudh Yatra’ led by Swami Avimukteshwaranand in Sitapur district was filed before the Special POCSO Court in Prayagraj on Monday by Ashutosh Maharaj, a disciple of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya.
After hearing arguments presented by the counsel representing Ashutosh Maharaj, the special court reserved its order on the plea.
In his petition, Ashutosh Maharaj urged the court to intervene and restrain the Shankaracharya from proceeding with the pilgrimage to Sitapur, arguing that the visit has created an atmosphere of fear among the Batuks—minor students associated with an ashram—who had earlier lodged a complaint alleging sexual exploitation against Swami Avimukteshwaranand.
According to the petitioner, many of these child students belong to the neighbouring Hardoi district and are reportedly apprehensive about the Swami’s presence in the region.
Ashutosh Maharaj is also among the petitioners in the ongoing Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute case in Mathura. In his latest plea before the court, he maintained that allowing the Shankaracharya’s yatra to proceed in areas close to the complainants could potentially intimidate the minor victims and affect the ongoing investigation.
The present petition stems from an earlier case filed by Ashutosh Maharaj in the same court,t alleging sexual harassment of the Batuks by Swami Avimukteshwaranand.
Acting on that complaint, the Special POCSO Court on February 21 directed the police to register an FIR against the seer. Following the court’s order, an FIR was subsequently lodged at Jhunsi police station in Prayagraj.
Challenging the development, Swami Avimukteshwaranand approached the Allahabad High Court seeking anticipatory bail. On February 27, the High Court granted interim relief by staying his arrest.
However, the court directed that the investigation should continue and instructed the Swami to cooperate fully with the probing authorities.
Meanwhile, the Shankaracharya commenced his ‘Gau Pratishtha Dharmyudh Yatra’ from Varanasi on March 7, 2026.
The religious march, which is being undertaken to demand that the cow be declared the “Mother of the Nation,” is scheduled to pass through Rae Bareli and Unnao before reaching Sitapur later in the evening.
The yatra is expected to culminate in Lucknow on March 11.
The controversy surrounding the Shankaracharya had earlier surfaced during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj on January 18, the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.
On that day, a dispute broke out between Swami Avimukteshwaranand and the Mela administration when his ceremonial cavalcade, carrying him in a rath, was reportedly stopped from proceeding towards the designated bathing ghat.
With the latest petition now under consideration, the Special POCSO Court’s forthcoming order is expected to determine whether the ongoing yatra will face legal restrictions in the interest of the complainant minors and the ongoing investigation.
#Prayagraj #POCSOCase #SwamiAvimukteshwaranand #GauPratishthaYatra #AshutoshMaharaj #Hardoi #Sitapur #Lucknow #MaghMela #LegalUpdate
