Supreme Court delivers split verdict on ISKCON Bengaluru control review petition

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has delivered a split verdict in review petitions filed against May 16, 2025 judgment, which then ruled in favour of Bengaluru chapter of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for the management of the centre over there, rejecting the claims of the Mumbai unit.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih differed in their decisions on the petition filed by the Mumbai unit. 

Justice Maheshwari allowed the plea for open court hearing and issued notice to the parties.

Justice Masih, however, dismissed the review petitions. 

"After having carefully gone through the review petitions, the judgment under review and the material annexed therewith, I am satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of record or any merit in the review petitions, warranting reconsideration of the judgment," he wrote in his separate order on October 28, 2025.

The May 16, 2025 judgment was delivered by a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka (since retired) and Masih.

Review petition is decided in judges chamber by the circulation of papers only. 

In view of divergent views, the bench directed for placing the review petitions before the Chief Justice of India for further directions.

In its judgment, the court then held that the ISKCON temple in Bengaluru belonged to ISKCON Society Bengaluru registered under Karnataka Societies Act.

The court pointed out none of the documents or letters concerning the allotment of land indicate that Madhu Pandit acted as the President of the Bengaluru branch of ISKCON Mumbai. 

"In fact, the words “Bangalore Branch” are not found in any of the material documents. On the contrary, all the documents, from the application for allotment to the grant of exemption under the Urban Land Ceiling Act, indicate that the application for allotment was made on behalf of ISKCON Bangalore and that allotment was made to the said Society," the bench noted.

The court set aside the 2011 judgement of the Karnataka High Court which held that the property belonged to ISKCON Society, Mumbai.

"The High Court's finding that ISKCON Mumbai, through its branch in Bangalore, was the owner of the schedule A property is completely erroneous and deserves to be set aside. It is completely contrary to the documentary evidence," Justice Oka then wrote in a 56-page judgment on part of the bench.

In 2011, the apex court had allowed the Bengaluru chapter of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to continue with day-to-day management of the centre and but restrained it from taking any policy decisions including creation of any financial liability.

The court had then directed for status quo in the on-going property dispute between Benagluru and Mumbai units in world famous Hindu religious group established by A C Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada Swami.

The Bengaluru unit of ISKCON was established in 1978.