Supreme Court Delivers Split Verdict On ISKCON Mumbai's Review Plea Against ISKCON Bangalore

The Supreme Court has delivered a split verdict in a review petition filed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Society Mumbai against the Court's judgment delivered in May this year, which held that the ISKCON temple in Bengaluru belonged to ISKCON Society Bangalore.In view of the divergence of opinion in the two-judge bench, the matter has now been placed before the Chief Justice of India for further action.In May, a bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka (since retired) and Justice AG Masih set aside a judgment of the Karnataka High Court which held that the Bengaluru temple belonged to ISKCON Society, Mumbai. Consequently, ISKCON Society Bangalore got the rights over the Bengaluru temple.Against this judgment, the Mumbai society filed a review petition. Since Justice Oka retired, the review petition was placed before a bench presided by Justice JK Maheshwari. Justice Masih (who was part of the original judgment) was the other judge of the review bench.While Justice Maheshwari allowed the listing of the review petitions in open court for hearing and issued notice to the respondents, Justice Masih dismissed the review petitions. Justice Masih held that there was no error apparent on the record of the judgment to warrant a review.BackgroundThe ISKCON society based in Bangalore was registered in July 1978 under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act. It claimed to have acquired approximately six acres of land from the Bangalore Development Authority at Hare Krishna Hills on 3 August 1988 and constructed a temple and cultural complex on it using funds collected from devotees.International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Mumbai was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950. It was founded in 1966 by Srila Prabhupada and has its registered office at Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Mumbai.In May 2011, the Karnataka High Court allowed an appeal filed by the ISKCON, Mumbai, challenging a decree of the trial court granted in favour of ISKCON, Bangalore on April 17, 2009.The trial court had declared that the Bangalore-registered society was the absolute owner and of the temple property at Hare Krishna Hills, Rajajinagar, Bangalore and restrained ISKCON Mumbai from interfering in its affairs. The court had also rejected the counterclaim of ISKCON Mumbai and its associated office-bearers seeking a permanent injunction against the Bangalore society.In the suit filed in 2001, ISKCON Bangalore sought a declaration that it was the absolute owner and possessor of the Hare Krishna Hills property, a declaration that ISKCON Mumbai had no authority to remove its office-bearers, a declaration that ISKCON Mumbai had no control over its properties or administration, and a permanent injunction restraining ISKCON Mumbai and its associated individuals from interfering with its affairs.ISKCON Mumbai claimed that the Bangalore centre had never functioned as an independent legal entity and had always operated as a branch under ISKCON Mumbai. It contended that all properties acquired by or in the name of ISKCON Bangalore actually vested in ISKCON Mumbai.The trial court accepted the case of the Bangalore society and decreed in its favour. Aggrieved by this, ISKCON Mumbai and some of its associated office-bearers filed a first appeal before the High Court.On 23 May 2011, the High Court allowed the appeal filed by ISKCON Mumbai. It set aside the trial court's decree and held that the Bangalore society was a branch of the Mumbai society.The High Court concluded that the title and possession of the Hare Krishna Hills temple complex vested with ISKCON Mumbai. It dismissed the suit filed by the Bangalore-registered society and decreed ISKCON Mumbai's counterclaim for a permanent injunction against interference by the Bangalore office-bearers.Case : INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, MUMBAI VERSUS INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, BANGALORE & ORS. | Diary No. 37957 of 2025Click here to read the order

Supreme Court Delivers Split Verdict On ISKCON Mumbai's Review Plea Against ISKCON Bangalore

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