Dismissed

BY: BANGALORE, KARNATAKA

Sep 01, 2012 — STAFF CORRESPONDENT (THE HINDU) — The High Court on Friday refused to expunge certain observations on the conduct of the office-bearers and their relatives connected to ISKCON, Bangalore, in its May 23, 2011 verdict. A Division Bench comprising Justice H.N. Nagmohandas and Justice A.S. Bopanna dismissed the applications, praying for expunging the remarks.

Madhu Pandit Das, who had claimed to be the head of ISKCON, Bangalore, his wife, Bhakti Lata Devi Dasi, his co-brother Chanchalapathi Das, and others had filed the applications. The applicants had claimed that they were not heard in their personal capacity before the remarks on their conduct were made in the verdict.

The remarks and observations, which were made after going through documents/evidence on record, are integral part of the verdict and it can not be expunged, the Bench said.

While declaring that ISKCON, Bangalore, is a branch of ISKCON, Mumbai, the High Court in its May 23 verdict had declared that these applicants had cooked up the reports specifying names of these persons as office-bearers and had filed them before the Registrar of Society.

The court also dismissed the claim of ISKCON, Bangalore, represented by Madhu Pandit Das, that it was independent of ISKCON, Mumbai.

After challenging this verdict before the Supreme Court, where the matter is pending, these applications were filed seeking expunging of the remarks.

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