A high-stakes spiritual showdown gripped Prayagraj as guru Ashutosh Brahmachari dropped explosive allegations against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati during a Wednesday press conference. Focusing on ashram atrocities, he claimed young batuks from flood-battered areas suffered egregious mistreatment.
With poetic disdain, Brahmachari remarked, ‘Filth-mongers of Ganga can’t purify in her flow.’ Court-mandated medical reports on two batuks allegedly confirmed tampering, fueling his narrative of institutional abuse.
He named names unequivocally: the swami, his protégé Mukundanand Brahmachari, Arvind, and Prakash Upadhyay. The ‘Shankaracharya’ label for the swami? A direct Supreme Court no-go, he warned, inviting contempt charges.
This salvo arrives post a special POCSO court’s FIR mandate against the swami and others for minor exploitation, birthed from Brahmachari’s filing, with police now investigating.
Brahmachari broadened the net, implicating same-ashram followers and SP-Congress affiliates in child crimes—unsubstantiated yet provocative. January 18 saw batuks’ daring escape and disclosure to him. He accused the swami of Sangam blockade via crowd-induced jams, defying top court edicts.
Promising phased disclosures amid probes, he distanced himself: ‘I unveil, I don’t indulge.’
This rift reverberates through devotee circles, challenging ashram sanctity and guru infallibility. With FIRs filed and inquiries afoot, the saga promises courtroom drama and reputational reckonings ahead.