Apr 12, 2015 — USA (SUN) —
Regarding the Appeal just dismissed by the Karnataka High Court, this case was filed by Amiyavilas Swami, one of the trustees of the "ISKCON of Karnataka" society registered at Bangalore during 1978 by Shankhbrit das. He was one of the original trustees of the trust that actually never functioned. It was not sanctioned by any ISKCON authority, and not by Srila Prabhupada either. The case was dismissed, and official ISKCON was not involved in the case at all! Therefore, the article above, published by the Deccan Herald, has totally misrepresented the truth. Perhaps Madhu Pandit das's group has a friend in the paper, or something along those lines.
A brief history:
In 1978, Shankhbrit prabhu formed a society called Iskcon of Karnataka. Years ago, Dayarama das went to the six trustees - 2 life members and 4 devotees - of that society saying that the society was defunct, and those Trustees agreed to put that to the court - which they did. Those 2 life members have never changed their position. Amiyavilas Swami and the other devotees shifted sides, but eventually Amiyavilas Swami came back to Iskcon (Mumbai). Iskcon (Mumbai) was not directly a party to the suit. It was Amiyavilas Swami challenging Madhu Pandit.
In 2001, Madhu Pandit das tried to stop Iskcon (Mumbai) from taking him out of Iskcon of Bangalore. Iskcon won, and Madhu Pandit appealed and then he won. Iskcon appealed that decision to high court of Karnataka, and the high court sided heavily with Iskcon (Mumbai). They wrote a damning indictment of Madhu Pandit. Madhu Pandit appealed the judgment of Karnataka High Court to the Supreme Court and that case is still pending. Mediation ensued and hasn't been successful to date. Another mediation is scheduled for the 29th of April.
