Allahabad HC Hears Shankaracharya's Bail Plea in Chamber; Court Questions Police on Whereabouts of Victim Children

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday took up the bail application of Jyotirpeetha Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati in the sexual harassment and POCSO case, with Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha opting to conduct the sensitive hearing inside his chamber rather than in open court, citing the large crowd gathered in the corridor and the gravity of the matter.

During the in-chamber proceedings, Justice Sinha posed a pointed question to the police — "Where are the victimised children?" — after the defence presented what it claimed was a marksheet establishing that one of the alleged victims was an adult at the time of the alleged offence. The plaintiff's lawyer countered that one child had appeared before a magistrate, while the other was currently occupied with examinations.

The public prosecutor strongly opposed Shankaracharya's bail application, arguing that the religious leader wields considerable influence and that granting bail could compromise the ongoing investigation and impact witnesses.

Speaking to the media in Kashi before the hearing, Avimukteshwarananda struck a defiant tone, asserting that he was fully prepared to reveal the truth — even volunteering to undergo a narco-analysis test if required. His counsel, Shrinath Tripathi, argued before the court that the entire case was a carefully orchestrated conspiracy against a revered religious figure and not a legitimate criminal proceeding.

The FIR against Shankaracharya was registered following a petition by Ashutosh Brahmachari, a disciple of Tulsi Peethadhishwar Swami Rambhadracharya, under rape provisions and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Shankaracharya had filed an anticipatory bail application in the High Court on February 24 to pre-empt arrest, which the state government has firmly opposed.

The legal proceedings have been accompanied by alarming developments outside the courtroom. Defence lawyer Shrinath Tripathi received a death threat on Wednesday night, accompanied by a bomb threat directed at the Varanasi court. Uttar Pradesh Police moved swiftly, arresting the accused — identified as Ajit Kumar Saroj, a law student — within 20 hours. During interrogation, Saroj confessed to sending the threatening messages in an attempt to frame his neighbour.