Feb 15th: Bangalore Battle Comes to a Head
BY: SUN STAFF
Bangalore Temple at Hare Krishna Hill
Feb 12, 2012 — INDIA (SUN) — In January 1950, two days after India became a sovereign democratic republic, the Supreme Court of India came into being. It is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal in the land, as established by the Constitution of India. The Supreme Court eventually replaced both the Federal Court of India and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council at the apex of the Indian court system, and for that reason it is referred to as the Apex Court.
On Wednesday, February 15th, these halls of justice will be the setting for a long awaited decision in the lawsuit between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai. The dispute has been ongoing for more than a decade, and is the biggest legal battle ISKCON has been involved in to date.
From a monetary standpoint, the stakes are extremely high – higher than even the Gurukula lawsuit, which resulted in a $10 million dollar judgment. In this case, the potential for recovered assets extends far beyond the temple premises on Hare Krishna Hill in Bangalore, and could also involve what are reportedly significant real estate holdings, associated with Bangalore through various trusts and principals. These holdings -- which some estimate as being in the high billions -- were allegedly acquired on the strength of the original ISKCON Bangalore entity's assets and reputation.
The upcoming February 15th hearing marks the moment of final disposition of the case, which saw its last significant milestone on December 14, 2011, when the Supreme Court handed down its Order on an Interim Application. That Order established a three-man oversight committee comprised of Ananda Tirtha das (Mumbai), Stoka Krishna das (Bangalore), and retired Supreme Court Justice Ravindran. These three were charged with the duty of overseeing the management of the Bangalore Temple and all its properties until the scheduled February 15th final hearing.
During this interim period, the committee has met with Bangalore temple authorities and staff on a number of occasions, and we can expect that some of the details of that experience, and the findings of the committee's inquiries, will be disclosed to the Justices sitting on the 15th. (See the story and the order)
Juhu Temple, Mumbai
Over the more than ten years that this case has been ongoing, it has left a trail of surprisingly big footprints – and not only in the bank accounts from which funds have been drawn to pay endless legal bills. The impact has been felt throughout ISKCON, but also throughout the city of Bangalore and its real estate industry. The footprints are visible at the level of national politics, and in fact, across the entire Indian subcontinent at the temple level. In religious circles, Bangalore may now be best known for the lawsuit.
The price for this notoriety has been high. No matter which party the Supreme Court judges favor on February 15th, it's going to take a long time to pay back the resources that have been expended in the battle.
