Varanasi, Feb 25 (PTI) Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Wednesday alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
Addressing reporters here, the seer displayed a purported WhatsApp group on his phone that he alleged has been created by a man named Ashutosh Pandey and in which information related to the case against him is being shared.
“Whatever investigation police are conducting is reaching Ashutosh Pandey. What kind of probe is this?” he asked.
Showing a purported screenshot from the group, the seer claimed that a message stated that Pandey assisted in the collection of evidence during the investigation and remained with the probe team for three days.
Responding to claims that a photograph of Pandey with a senior IPS officer currently posted in Prayagraj was AI-generated, Saraswati said the same picture was posted in the WhatsApp group with a birthday greeting and had also been uploaded on Facebook.
“This is the same photograph that we showed the media,” he said.
He said saints across the country are feeling apprehensive.
“Today, sadhus and saints in the country are worried. When a history-sheeter can level allegations against a shankaracharya, what will happen to them?” he asked.
Saraswati further claimed that the two victims named in the FIR had been living with Pandey for a long time.
“If anything wrong has happened with those children, it must have been done by those who were with them. We had no contact with them,” he said, adding that “If someone wants to fabricate a story, they can concoct anything.” Meanwhile, in Prayagraj, Pandey said he had sufficient evidence in the matter.
He alleged that Saraswati was making baseless accusations against Uttar Pradesh Police.
“We have adequate evidence against him. Even if the most active police force in the world investigates this case, it will not be able to save him,” Pandey said.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the “fabricated story” would be exposed sooner or later.
He said there were three courts — the first was the public, which was following all the developments and would deliver its verdict; the second was his own conscience; and the third was the Supreme Court, which knew who was right and who was wrong.
“I have received clean chits from all three,” he had claimed. PTI COR KIS DIV DIV
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