The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by a retired army officer, who claimed that his daughter had been brainwashed and unlawfully confined by priests at the ISKCON Temple in Ahmedabad. Based on his daughter’s testimony, the court determined that she had acted of her own accord and ordered police protection for her.
Shelsing Rajpurohit, represented by Advocate Dharmesh Gurjar, claimed that his daughter, who had a deep interest in spirituality, regularly visited the ISKCON Temple on SG Highway.
She admitted to willingly leaving with a priest and expressed fear of her parents. “I got married of my own free will and do not wish to see my parents’ faces. I am afraid of them and do not want to return to them,” she tells the court.
Following her testimony, the court dismissed the petition, concluding that there was no unlawful confinement.
The retired officer alleged that the temple’s priests brainwashed young girls under the guise of devotion. He claimed that the “priests portray themselves as incarnations of Lord Krishna”, convincing the girls to view themselves as “Gopis.”
According to Rajpurohit, his daughter was mentored by Sundar Mama Prabhu, who imparted teachings about Lord Krishna and encouraged her to remain at the temple. The petitioner also alleged that after he refused to allow his daughter to marry outside their caste, he received threats.
The petition further accused ISKCON of inciting his daughter to elope with Rs 3.62 lakh in cash and 23 tolas (approximately 230 grammes) of gold. He alleged that she married a disciple in Mathura and claimed she was being given drugs and unlawfully confined.
Earlier, the High Court had issued notices to the state government, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, and nine other respondents, including ISKCON priests, asking them to reply by January 9, 2025.
The petitioner emphasised that despite filing the petition months after his daughter’s disappearance on July 27, 2024, he had received no clear information about her whereabouts, and the police had taken no effective action.
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