Lokanath Swami’s Child Molestation Case
Timeline of events and investigations from 1990 to-date
Category: Legal statements
Cardinal McCarrick v. Lokanath Swami
The Hare Krishna movement is currently wrestling...
Attorney’s Advice SUMMARY
In July 2021 the GBC voted for a GBC-appointed...
Attorney’s Advice FULL
Appendix X from Panel Report AppendicesOpinion...
Legal Implications
Lokanath Swami’s case involves his touching of...
Interviews, Videos
Vedic Inquirer Interview with Krsna Devata and Saraswati
May 2, 2021 Damodara interviewed Krsna Devata...
Haribhakti’s “Loving Plea to Lokanath Swami”
July 16, 2021 Bhima-Karma's comment on this...
Vedic Inquirer Interview with Praghosa (GBC)
Praghosa Prabhu (GBC Member) was interviewed by...
Child Abuse and Accountability, Chandrasekhar
August 1, 2021 This is a message from...
Hridayananda Swami and Krsna Devata on Child Protection
August 8, 2021Hridayananda das Goswami and Krsna...
Analyzing the GBC-appointed Panel on the Lokanath Swami Case
August 20, 2021Discussion between:Damodara das...
Namarasa’s Biased Interview of Lokanath Supporter
October 20, 2021 Dear Namarasa, Please consider...
Category: GBC
ISKCON Europe Upholds Ban on Lokanath
May 19, 2023Euro RGB Statement Regarding Lokanath Swami Status in EuropeHaving received feedback and requests from some members of our European devotee community, the Euro RGB body set forth to review and discuss the previous resolution made regarding Lokanath Swami...
Lokanath’s Lawsuit Against Child Protection Advocates
Since April 2021, Damodara dasa (Australia) and Saraswati dasi (North America) have asked the ISKCON GBC to follow their child protection laws and remove confessed child molester Lokanath "Swami" from leadership within ISKCON. On November 24, 2022, Lokanath's lawyer...
Praghosa Resigned from GBC to Protest Lokanath Decision
On July 20, 2022, Praghosa Prabhu explained his resignation as longstanding GBC member from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). His resignation was in protest of the GBC's decision to keep child molester Lokanath as an ISKCON guru.Praghosa...
2011 GBC Meeting Minutes SUMMARY
(l to r) Badrinarayan, Praghosh, Lokanath. In 2010, Lokanath’s victim Satya wrote a series of public statements aggrieved at Lokanath’s prominent position in ISKCON. The GBC took notice and in their 2010 Meeting they discussed how to handle Lokanath’s child...
2011 GBC Meeting Minutes FULL
(l to r) Badrinarayan, Praghosh, Lokanath. Appendix G from Panel Report AppendicesOctober 2011 GBC Midterm Meeting Minutes, pg. 4, 14, 15, and 41 LOKANATH SWAMIHcd: bcais will introduce, sesa will give ppt. then questions and answers.Bcais: attention. Read proposal...
2012 Secret GBC Resolution
In 2012 the GBC continued to cover up Lokanath’s sexual abuse of a child by secretly voting on a resolution restricting him from initiating disciples outside of India. Until now, only a few select people in the world have seen this unpublished GBC Resolution.This...
Lokanath Swami Initiates Child in ISKCON Alachua Temple Room
August 2019This is a video of child molester Lokanath Swami initiating a child at the Alachua ISKCON temple (largest ISKCON community in North America) in 2019, while the community cheers him on. In the video, Lokanath says to the temple president Mukhya before she...
Why were the GBC Resolutions not followed with Lokanath Swami?
Listed below are GBC Resolutions that were not followed in the Lokanath Swami case, or are relevant to the Lokanath Swami case. In 1989 the GBC RESOLVED:"74. That incidents of child molestation within ISKCON or ISKCON related organizations must be reported by the...
Bhakti Caitanya Swami Blocked Lokanath Swami CPO Investigation
On May 12, 2021, the GBC Executive Committee stated that Lokanath Swami would be suspended, pending a Child Protection Office investigation.In this video, recorded on June 26, 2021, Bhakti Caitanya Swami who is the GBC Chairman spoke with Devakinandana, ISKCON lawyer...
Indian Continental Committee Discussing Lokanath
On July 9, 2021, members of ISKCON's India leadership, including representatives from the ISKCON Indian Continental Committee (ICC) and ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC), met to discuss Lokanath's child molestation case.In this leaked recording of their meeting,...
GBC letter to ICC/Indian Bureau
July 9, 2021The ICC is the Indian Continental Committee which is comprised of ISKCON temple presidents from India. They are under the ISKCON Indian Bureau, which is under the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC).In this letter, the GBC Executive Committee asked the...
Vedic Inquirer Interview with Praghosa (GBC)
Praghosa Prabhu (GBC Member) was interviewed by Damodara Prabhu of Vedic Inquirer on July 17, 2021.https://youtu.be/JpZ6f8b_PJE?t=1216Topic of child protection starts at 20:16. Video cued to that mark.Key ExcerptsDamodara: A lot of people would see you’ve got all the...
GBC Panel to Examine Lokanath Swami Case
"GBC Announces Panel to Examine Lokanath Swami Issue and its Own Past Decision Making"By: ISKCON Governing Body Commission on July 21, 2021Today, the GBC Executive Committee released a statement regarding a recent GBC decision on how to proceed with the controversy...
Natesvari’s Letter to the GBC
August 2, 2021 Hare Krishna dear GBC members, Please accept my humble obeisances, All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the Guru Parampara! My name Is Natesvari Yogini Devi Dasi, my initiating spiritual master is HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and I have been an active...
Analyzing the GBC-appointed Panel on the Lokanath Swami Case
August 20, 2021Discussion between:Damodara das of Vedic Inquirer (podcast and online group focused on child protection in ISKCON)Dhira Govinda das, Director of the ISKCON Child Protection Office from 1998-2004Sanaka Rsi das, produced Cost of Silence documentary about...
Bhakti Caitanya Swami’s Involvement in the Lokanath Case
In July 2010, Lokanath's victim Satya wrote a series of compelling statements about her abuse, the 20 years of disregard given to the case, and lack of accountability for Lokanath.Responding to Satya's public statements in 2010, the GBC Second Vice-Chairman Bhakti...
ISKCON’s Code of Ethical Behavior
Yogesavara das (Joshua Greene) October 10, 2021 Dear Mahaman, Bhaktarupa, Tamohara, Navin Shyam, Champakalata, As the GBC Executive Committee intentionally chose not to include any of the child protection advocates from the Lokanath campaign, we thought we'd share...
Ravindra Svarupa’s Involvement in Lokanath Swami’s Child Molestation Case
January 28, 2022Ravindra Svarupa said in an open letter on Chakra, “The office of child abuse has not been instructed to not go after anyone... If there is any reliable testimony to the contrary, let me know, and I will follow up on it.” (September 12,...
GBC Ad Hoc Panel Report SUMMARY
April 4, 2022 LOKANATH’S CHILD MOLESTATION CASE PANEL REPORT In July 2021, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) appointed an Ad Hoc Panel to look at Lokanath’s child molestation case - cutting out their ISKCON Child Protection Office. The GBC said the panel...
GBC Ad Hoc Panel Report on Lokanath’s Child Molestation Case
Report of the Lokanath Swami Case Panel March 1 2022 This Panel was constituted by the GBC Body in September 2021 for, inter alia, the following purposes:• Establish a shared baseline of facts and evidence regarding this case.• Assess and review the...
Category: Letters, Statements
Interview with Satya and her Mother
Confidential Message from Bir Krishna Goswami to GBC Conference
1997 From: Bir Krishna Goswami RE: Copy of message to GBC conference Dear GBC members, It is my duty to inform you of the actions of a special GBC subcommittee that dealt with a confidential investigation of Lokanatha Maharaja. The members of the subcommittee...
Abhay Charan and Lokanath Swami Emails
Abhay Charan Das’ Facebook post from June 8, 2021.Further background to this matter that might help devotees trying to understand the circumstances of the incident. I have inserted correspondence between Lokanath Swami and myself from 2017, which may help to...
Krsna Devata’s Report
May 1, 2021The GBC's Mad Elephant Offense & How It Has Harmed Everyone“To blaspheme pure Vaisnavas is an offense, but even blaspheming other jivas is a sin. Vaisnavas have no interest in performing such a sinful act. However, provided one has the right motive,...
Letter from Rupanuga ACBSP ’66
June 20, 2021Thank you for this opportunity to give my response in this matter. My humble obeisances to you for this service to Srila Prabhupada by defending those children he saw as the flowers of his Movement and its future. I have examined your enclosure.In my...
Krishna Dharma’s Statement
June 22, 2021Statement by Krishna Dharma Prabhu on the Lokanath Swami case:Listening to the testimonies of our second generation regarding the abuse they received at the hands of older devotees brings tears to my eyes. I am literally shocked to the core by some...
Shanti’s Letter to the GBC
Shanti Day's Facebook post on August 1, 2021:This is a letter that I wrote to the GBC email list a few weeks ago (I received replies from two people). It has taken me over a month to gather the courage to post this on Facebook; can you imagine how difficult it is for...
Haribhakti’s “Loving Plea to Lokanath Swami”
July 16, 2021 Bhima-Karma's comment on this video: "Words can't say it all. It will remain in me as an example of how to speak in a respectful, caring and yet forthcoming way."
Visvambhar’s Letter to the GBC
Visvambhar Sheth said in his letter below, "Placing more restrictions on Maharaj in an attempt to placate the situation is a band-aid solution that will not resolve the deep rooted and festering anger felt by many in my generation."Actually, all that is being asked...
Letter from Sanaka Rsi
Sanaka Rsi in front center. Picture taken by Kurma Rupa Prabhu.July 21, 2021Dear Vaishnava community,Please accept my respectful obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.I had hoped to disengage from any involvement with the important, complex and all too often...
ISKCON Family, Nimai
July 27, 2021 There is a current discussion going on within ISKCON that I can no longer ignore in regards to Lokanatha Swami. It's actually a moral conversation that is much bigger than him or his disciples or even the survivor. Who am I and why do I care? I was born...
Child Abuse and Accountability, Chandrasekhar
August 1, 2021 This is a message from Chandrasekhar das to all the devotees, especially the Millennial second generation, on the topic of child abuse, leadership, and accountability.
Letter to the GBC from Titiksa ACBSP
Titiksa is a Prabhupada disciple that has worked with Gurukulas for roughly 10 years. She co-founded the first Day School model that is still flourishing in Alachua.August 1, 2021Dear Esteemed Members of Srila Prabhupada’s GBCI offer my humble obeisances. All glories...
Natesvari’s Letter to the GBC
August 2, 2021 Hare Krishna dear GBC members, Please accept my humble obeisances, All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the Guru Parampara! My name Is Natesvari Yogini Devi Dasi, my initiating spiritual master is HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and I have been an active...
Jitarati Speaks Out on the Lokanath Case
Jitarati das, top rightAugust 15, 2021The principles we all know.You should never be alone with a girl or women, except your wife.The proper protocol would have been to have his servant in the room and to sit on different seats.Completely unnecessary was the holding...
The Arjuna Syndrome, Garuda
September 11, 2021 DO YOU HAVE "THE ARJUNA SYNDROME"? My Dear Vaishnava Sisters and Brothers, I offer all of you my affectionate praṇāmas. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! All our relationships in this life, according to our Bhakti tradition, are meant to teach us how to love,...
Thoughts on the Lokanath Swami Case, Amber
September 17, 2021My personal view, shared by many, just so it has been expressed clearly for the record... I understand that 30 odd years have passed since Lokanath Swami touched a child between the legs, and in other inappropriate ways over the course of several...
“No children matter to ISKCON, until the voice of one girl matters” | KD
September 23, 2021Dear Members of the GBC,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.In May 2021, you publicly announced that you would give the Lokanath child abuse case to the International Child Protection Office, after the GBC has...
The Controversy, Rukmini
October 7, 2021 I write in despair regarding the recent resurgence of extremely serious allegations on a leader within the movement. While my intention is not to publicly shame anyone and I will not be using any names here; I also don’t want my silence to be...
Patita Pavana’s Letter to Lokanath Swami
Patita Pavana joined ISKCON in 1967 at 26 Second Avenue. In the first couple years within the movement, he served in NYC, San Francisco, New Mexico, Los Angeles, NYC again, Boston, New Vrindavan, and ISKCON Press. October 19, 2021 Dear Lokanatha Maharaja, Please...