India's Supreme Court Upholds Anticipatory Bail for Swami Avimukteshwaranand in Child Abuse Case

The Supreme Court of India refused to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Giri, leaving the order of the Allahabad High Court in force. The bail relates to a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act that alleges the two men sexually abused two minor boys at a camp in Prayagraj. The complaint was lodged by spiritual leader Ashutosh Brahmachari, who later appealed to the Supreme Court. A bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh dismissed the Special Leave Petition, noting that the High Court had already identified inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case, a delay in filing the FIR and concerns about possible witness interference. The Supreme Court’s decision means the bail remains valid while the investigation and trial continue.