Swami Avimukteshwaranand case: Five things POCSO Special Court Judge said in order to file FIR

The Rape and POCSO Special Court, Prayagraj, on Saturday ordered the SHO, Jhunsi Police Station, to file an FIR against Jyotish Peeth Shankracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in connection with the allegations of sexual exploitation of minors.

In his order, ADJ (POCSO Act) Vinod Kumar Chaurasia also directed police to conduct a “fair, independent, and expeditious” investigation into the allegations of sexual exploitation of 20 children in his Ashram. The ADJ, however, refrained from expressing any opinion on the merit of the case.

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The development comes days after Ashutosh Brahmachari filed a complaint in Prayagraj’s Special Rape and POCSO Court on February 8, alleging that the Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya has sexually abused children in his Ashram. READ MORE: ‘Justice has been delivered,’ says complainant Ashutosh Brahmachari after court orders FIR

Below are the five things the POCSO Special Court Judge said in the order

1. Accordingly, the present application under Section 175(3) read with Section 173(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, is disposed of in the light of the observations made hereinabove and deserves to be allowed, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.
2. The Station House Officer, Police Station Jhunsi, District Prayagraj, is hereby directed to register a First Information Report forthwith on the basis of the tehrir/information and material placed on record, under relevant provisions of the law, and to conduct an investigation strictly in accordance with law.
3. The investigation shall be carried out fairly, independently, and expeditiously, and in compliance with the provisions of the POCSO Act, including those relating to protection of identity and dignity of the victims.
4. The office is directed to ensure compliance of this order forthwith. A compliance report shall be submitted before this Court within the time prescribed by law.
5. It is clarified that this Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case, and all issues are left open to be decided during investigation and investigating agency shall act independently and strictly according to the law.