Months after lodging a complaint accusing Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of allegedly sexually harassing two minors in Prayagraj, Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj has claimed he was misled and lodged “a fake case”.
In a video statement, Maharaj claimed, “The conspiracy to get a false case lodged against Avimukteshwaranand was planned by (Mahant) Ramchandra Das. I was pressured and misled.” He also alleged many officials are involved in this. “I have WhatsApp chats and call recordings of Das telling me how to lodge the case,” he alleged.
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Das, the mahant of Deva Ashram in Mathura, in a statement, refuted Maharaj’s claims and demanded legal action against him, alleging the latter may cause harm to him.
Das is the successor of Swami Rambhadracharya; Maharaj too is a disciple of Rambhadracharya.
Asked if he would withdraw the complaint against Saraswati, Maharaj told The Indian Express, “We will discuss this and take a decision soon in this regard.”
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Asked about his allegations against Das, Maharaj refused to speak about it in detail but said he would make it clear later.
On February 21, a special court in Prayagraj ordered police to lodge an FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant laws and initiate an independent probe.
On March 25, Saraswati and his disciple were granted anticipatory bail in the case by the Allahabad High Court.
Saraswati, who is the Jyotirmath Shankaracharya, and others were booked under BNS section 351 (3) and sections 5, 6, 3, 4 (2), 16, 17 of the POCSO Act. They face charges of aggravated penetrative sexual assault on child under POCSO sections for which the punishment ranges between 7 years to life imprisonment. Under the BNS section, the accused face charges of aggravated criminal intimidation.
The case was directed to be lodged against Saraswati, Mukundanand Brahmachari of Sheshnath Ashram, Badrinath Dham, Uttarakhand and two-three unknown accused.
Saraswati had earlier said that Maharaj is a history-sheeter.
Maharaj, who says he became a disciple of Swami Rambhadracharya in 2022, was known as Ashutosh Pandey earlier.
On March 25, Saraswati and his disciple were granted anticipatory bail in the case by the Allahabad High Court. (File Photo) 
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