By Legal Office
The Supreme Court sets up a three-member committee to oversee management of ISKCON temple at Bengaluru.
On December 14th 2011, the legal battle between ISKCON-the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness- or the Hare Krishnas registered at
Mumbai by Srila Prabhupada in 1971 and the “pretender” ISKCON registered at Bengaluru by one Shankhabhirt Das in 1978, witnessed a substantial development.
A three-member panel of judges headed by Justice Altamas Kabir of the honorable Supreme court appointed a three member committee to oversee the management of the day-to-day activities of the sprawling and immensely popular ISKCON Temple at Rajajinagar, Bengaluru temple, after nearly 2 hours of arguments.
The Court’s decision to appoint a committee was in response to an interim
application filed by ISKCON registered at Mumbai on grounds of apprehension that funds may get misappropriated. The advocates representing ISKCON registered at Mumbai highlighted the frauds by Madhu Pandita Dasa – the alleged President of the Bengaluru society- the huge real estate business carried out by him in the name of various trusts, and thus urged the honorable court to intervene.
In response to this plea, the honorable Supreme Court wanted to protect the interests of ISKCON registered in Mumbai and proposed a 3 member committee. This three-member committee will be headed by Justice Ravindran (Retired SC Judge from Bengaluru) and will have one representative each from ISKCON registered at Mumbai and ISKCON registered at Bengaluru – Ananda Tirtha Dasa and Stoka Krishna Dasa respectively, to oversee the management of the Temple and its properties.
ISKCON Bengaluru opposed the proposal of appointing a committee including any ISKCON Mumbai representative. However the court categorically reaffirmed that ISKCON Mumbai has a High Court decree in their favor and therefore has a claim and therefore must be part of the management.
According to the high court order dated 23/5/2011, what has been functioning at Bangalore as ISKCON Temple at Bangalore is a branch of ISKCON reg. in Mumbai and Madhu Pandita Dasa has been heading the said branch as officer of ISKCON reg. in Mumbai but said Madhu Pandita Dasa has by fraud and fabrication of documents has attempted to swallow the temple using ISKCON society registered at Bangalore as a front.
This interim development is likely to ensure prevention of misappropriation of funds by MPD and others. The stage is set now for the final disposal of the Special Leave Petition that is expected to resolve this long pending dispute. The said SLP is posted for final disposal on February 15th, 2012.
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