The Karnataka high court on Tuesday restrained the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), Mumbai from displacing Iskcon Bangalore's president Madhu Pandit Dasa and other office-bearers and employees for six weeks.
The Iskcon Bangalore had filed an application seeking a stay on the high court's Monday order upholding Mumbai Iskcon's rights over the properties of Iskcon Bangalore. The court on Tuesday declined to give a stay order.
The high court had set aside the verdict given by a trial court of Bangalore giving absolute ownership of Sri Radha Krishna Temple on Hare Krishna Hill to Iskcon, Bangalore society registered in 1978, and awarded ownership rights to Iskcon Mumbai.
Iskcon Bangalore had also filed another application seeking an order restraining the Mumbai Iskcon from displacing it for 90 days. It had said that there were over 375 staff on its rolls. Any displacement would throw all these employees on to the streets, it had said. The application seeking the stay came up for hearing before a division bench headed by justice Nagmohan Das. The bench restrained Iskcon, Mumbai from dislodging or removing Madhu Pandit Dasa as president, other office-bearers and employees of Iskcon, Bangalore for six weeks.
It observed that Iskcon, Mumbai shall not invoke its constitutional powers to dislodge Dasa, other functionaries, missionary devotees and employees of Iskcon, Bangalore serving in the temple from their services.
The bench further observed that there are various services being rendered by the institution to the society and abrupt changes in the management, missionaries, employees and other members would disrupt the same leading to far-reaching consequences.
Counsel for Iskcon, Bangalore argued that the Bangalore body was in de-facto possession of the Hare Krishna Hill premises for several decades and various court orders were in its support.
The court also observed that Akshaya Patra and other trusts which were functioning from Hare Krishna Hill where ISKCON temple are not party to the case and should function on their own.Madhu Pandit Dasa, president of Iskcon Bangalore at the high court. (Right) Representatives of Iskcon Mumbai too are in the city
