Committee to supervise Bangalore Iskcon affairs

At a press conference here on Sunday, chairman of the committee Dayaram Dasa said the committee would submit a report within a week to the governing council on the procedures of deity worship, accounting, finances and other issues pertaining to the Iskcon branch at Hare Krishna Hills in Rajajinagar.

A High Court Bench on May 23, ruled that the Iskcon Bangalore had no legal existence and its property belonged to the Iskcon Mumbai. It also observed that president of the Bangalore branch, Madhu Pandit Das, who claimed the independent status for the Bangalore branch, had tampered with the documents.

Plot to gobble temple

Citing the Court’s judgment, Dayaram said Madhu Pandit Das fabricated documents and tampered with the BDA records.

"The High Court has clearly observed that this was a conspiracy to grab the temple from the Iskcon bureau", said Dayaram.

The supervisory committee will ensure that no such fraud takes place in future at the temple. “We will look into the accounts to ensure that the assets are safe. We will also look into complaints against Madhu Pandit Das. For instance, we have received a complaint about sale of flats at Kanakapura,” he said.

The five-member committee, including Varadakrishna Das, Muralishyam Das, Rajendra Kamatgoudar and S P Rajeshwari, has also written to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bangalore North) seeking police protection.

“In the past, Madhu Pandit Das and his associates have filed false cases of eve teasing and theft against innocent devotees, and have physically assaulted some,” said Dayaram. “That is why we are asking for police protection.”

On removing Madhu Pandit Das, he said that the High Court had ordered that the status quo be maintained for at least six weeks to allow them to appeal. The council will consider the matter later, he said.

No to govt intervention

When asked about Congress leader D K Shivakumar's allegations against Iskcon Bangalore, Dayaram said there might be some merit in his complaints. “However, we do not want the Government to appoint an administrator to take over Iskcon,” he said.