Saints shouldn't be concerned with defamation: Delhi HC on Avimukteshwaranand's civil suit against Govindananda Saraswati

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Delhi High Court (HC) on Tuesday issued a notice regarding the interim injunction application in connection with a civil defamation suit filed by Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati against Govindanand Saraswati.

The bench led by Justice Navin Chawla stated that "saints should not be concerned with defamation" and suggested that respect and reputation are established through actions rather than legal battles.

Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati filed a civil defamation suit against Govindanand Saraswati on Monday based on accusations that Avimukteshwaranand is a "fake baba" and has received political support from the Indian National Congress Party.

"A saint's true standing is not affected by such disputes, implying that the focus should be on the saint's conduct and character rather than seeking legal redress for defamation," the court observed.

At the end of the hearing, the court issued a notice regarding the interim injunction application and scheduled the case for further hearing on August 29. The bench did not grant an ad interim ex parte order at this stage, indicating that no temporary injunction will be issued until both parties have been heard.

Avimukteshwaranand's lawyer argued that Govindanand made several damaging statements, including calling him a "farzi baba," "dhongi baba," and "chor baba."

Additionally, the lawyer claimed that Govindanand accused Avimukteshwaranand of serious criminal activities, such as kidnapping, being a history-sheeter, stealing Rs 7,000 crore worth of gold, and having illicit relationships with Sadhvis. If these allegations are proven false and harmful, they could substantiate a defamation claim.

The counsel for Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati clarified that while Govindanand Saraswati claimed there were criminal cases against Avimukteshwaranand, the only relevant case filed during the Akhilesh Yadav government was subsequently withdrawn by the Yogi Adityanath government.

Swami Govindananda Saraswati recently made sensational allegations against Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. Govindananda claimed that Avimukteshwaranand was a "fake baba" and accused him of serious criminal activities, including killing and kidnapping people.

He further criticised the media for referring to Avimukteshwaranand as a Shankaracharya, asserting that he is unworthy of titles such as sadhu, sant, or sanyasi.

(With ANI inputs)