Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati (PTI image)

NEW DELHI: A special POCSO court in Prayagraj on Saturday directed the police to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciple Swami Mukundanand Giri in connection with allegations of sexual exploitation.ADJ (POCSO Act) Vinod Kumar Chaurasia ordered the FIR registration and a detailed investigation into the matter. The case will be registered at Jhunsi police station following the court’s directions. The application under Section 173(4) was filed by Shakumbhari Peethadhishwar Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj, seeking strict action, news agency ANI reported. The move comes amid a backdrop of controversy surrounding Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati. Last month, the seer claimed he was prevented from taking a ritual dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, leading him to stage an 11-day sit-in protest. Speaking to reporters in Varanasi, he said, “When I sat there for 11 days, no official asked me to take a dip. Now it is too late. I will go to the Magh Mela next year and take a respectful bath.”The seer had also urged Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to stop beef exports from the state and declare the cow as ‘Rajya Mata’, calling it a measure of the government’s commitment as a “Hindu sympathiser.”The controversy traces back to January 18, when Swami Avimukteshwaranand, travelling in a palanquin to the Sangam for Mauni Amavasya, was asked by officials to dismount and proceed on foot due to heavy crowds. The Mela administration alleged that his supporters broke a barricade on a pontoon bridge, causing crowd management issues.Following the incident, the seer protested outside the Shankaracharya camp, demanding an apology and a dignified escort for the ritual bath. The administration also issued a notice questioning his use of the title of Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, citing a civil appeal pending before the Supreme Court.The row triggered political and administrative reactions. Prashant Kumar Singh, deputy commissioner in the Uttar Pradesh GST department, resigned citing moral reasons and Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri also stepped down, highlighting concerns over the alleged insult to the seer. The Congress party announced a campaign against the perceived insult, demanding that the state governor take suo motu cognisance.