- Ashutosh Brahmachari alleged he was attacked on a train while travelling to Prayagraj
- He filed a complaint after arriving at a railway police station with bloodied clothes
- Brahmachari is complainant in a child abuse case against Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand
Ashutosh Brahmachari, who has filed a child abuse case against religious leader Avimukteshwaranand, has filed a fresh case, alleging that he was attacked on a train journey to Prayagraj. According to reports, Brahmachari walked into a railway police station, his clothes bloodied, and alleged that he was attacked when he tried to use the toilet on the train. He has suffered injuries, including to his nose, and a medical examination has been conducted.
Brahmachari, also a religious leader, has said he was travelling to Prayagraj for court hearings, including in his case against Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya or head of Jyotish Peeth in Joshimath. He travelled from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh to Ghaziabad and then boarded a first-class coach on the Rewa Express to proceed to Prayagraj. Early morning, when the train was near Sirathu station, a man attacked him when he went to the toilet, he said in the complaint. Brahmachari has said he escaped the attack by locking himself in the toilet. A case has been registered based on his complaint, and an investigation is on.
The Shankaracharya said he came to know about the incident through media reports. He alleged that Brahmachari "staged the drama" to get security cover.
Earlier, Brahmachari alleged that young disciples, known as batuks, were brought from flood-affected areas to the Shankaracharya's ashram in Prayagraj and then faced abuse. Brahmachari said he wanted to disclose the names of those allegedly involved. "First is Swami Avimukteshwaranand, second his associate and disciple Mukundananda Brahmachari, third Arvind, a disciple of his guru-bhai, and Prakash Upadhyay," he said. Shankaracharya faces charges under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Avimukteshwarananda has trashed the allegations and said they were fabricated charges aimed at harming Sanatan Dharma. The Opposition, including the Samajwadi Party, has expressed solidarity with him.
"Is Ashutosh Maharaj the investigating officer or a spokesperson for the authorities? With what authority is he making revelations about the investigation? Does the police lack a spokesperson, that they are relying on a history-sheeter?" Avimukteshwarananda has said.
The Shankaracharya recently made headlines for his face-off with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after he was not allowed to proceed to the Sangam on his palanquin during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
Inputs By Deepak Gambhir
