NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday held that the Hare Krishna temple in Bengaluru belongs to the Iskcon Society in the city. The top court allowed the plea of Iskcon Bangalore challenging a Karnataka High Court order that ruled in favour of Iskcon Mumbai over control of the iconic Hare Krishna temple and educational complex in Bengaluru. A bench comprising Justices A S Oka and Augustine George Masih delivered the verdict. Iskcon Bangalore had moved the top court on June 2, 2011 challenging the high court’s verdict of May 23, 2011. In the plea, Iskcon Bangalore, represented by its office-bearer Kodandarama Dasa, contested the high court judgment that overturned a 2009 order of a local court in Bengaluru. The trial court had earlier ruled in favour of Iskcon Bangalore, recognising its legal title and granting a permanent injunction against Iskcon Mumbai. However, the high court reversed this ruling and upheld a counterclaim by Iskcon Mumbai, effectively granting them control over the temple. The legal tussle pits two societies with similar names and spiritual missions against each other. Iskcon Bangalore, a Karnataka-registered society, contends that it has been operating independently and managing the Bengaluru temple for decades. Iskcon Mumbai, registered under the national Societies Registration Act of 1860 and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, claims that Iskcon Bangalore is merely its branch and that the property in question rightfully belongs under its jurisdiction.
