Select Page

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 would take 60 days. Over 7 months later, the panel submitted their report to the GBC.

Out of the 5 members the GBC Executive Committee appointed, 2 members were loyal Lokanath supporters: Bhaktarupa and Mahaman. Before the GBC EC appointed them, they were known to be part of the ISKCON India leadership who had rejected the GBC’s decision to give Lokanath’s child molestation case to the ISKCON Child Protection Office. For the GBC EC to appoint two ardent supporters of Lokanath was a glaring conflict of interest and went squarely against ISKCON Child Protection Office procedures.

The 2018 ISKCON Child Protection Office Guidelines state:

“Each Review Panel Member shall be independent and impartial.”

Independent and impartial.

The GBC EC knew that Bhaktarupa and Mahaman intended to vote to close the case. The panel was stacked from the beginning.

The panel voted 3-2 to close Lokanath’s child molestation case, with no further action.

However, all 5 panel members did agree on the following:

“Throughout the various sections of the Panel report, both the Majority opinion and the ‘Dissenting views’ have been largely in agreement regarding the following pertinent points:

  1. Some type of child sexual abuse was perpetrated by Lokanath Swami.
  2. CPO case precedents have consistently restricted abusers from positions of leadership for offenses no more severe than alleged of Lokanath Swami.
  3. Previous decisions have ignored that he committed a criminal felony of child sexual assault in the jurisdiction where it happened.”From the “minority” (2 members): “And the dissent finds these additional points to be clearly established as well:
  4. The CPO should have handled this case from 1998 onward. In fact, it was deliberately withheld.
  5. The case was decided on administrative standards (although ethical and spiritual standards are certainly considered by the GBC) rather than a rights-based approach.
  6. There were definite conflicts of interest in that most of the GBC knew Lokanath Swami well and had worked with him on the GBC.
  7. The sentence was very light, and inconsistent with other CPO cases which lead to restrictions on leadership.

This all leads to a conclusion of the Dissent that the Lokanath Case was deliberately handled differently than every other case of abuse in ISKCON; it gives the perception of preferential treatment, and used a very light standard that was more administrative in nature, rather than a judicial proceeding.”

The following are recommendations from an attorney who was hired for advice on Lokanath’s child molestation case:

“Known perpetrators should rarely be ‘reinstated’ and should never be placed in any position where they have access to children.”

If the ISKCON Governing Body Commission heeds their counsel’s advice, they will remove Lokanath as an ISKCON leader – either by doing it themselves or by authorizing the ISKCON Child Protection Office to make a formal decision against him.

As this is a public matter involving a prominent figure in ISKCON, this report is being shared with the wider ISKCON body.

The panel’s full report was 284 pages, and comprised two parts.

Report (71 pages):

GBC Ad Hoc Panel Report on Lokanath’s Child Molestation Case

Panel Report 03 01 22.pdf (544.9KB)

Appendices (213 pages):

https://lokanath.net/appendices-to-panel-report-march-2022

Panel Report Appendices 03 01 22.pdf (13443.0KB)

Loading

ISKCON Europe Upholds Ban on Lokanath

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

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...

Lokanath Loophole

Lokanath Loophole

 The ISKCON Child Protection Office (CPO) offers a service that when a devotee comes to a temple, that temple can contact the CPO and say “Hey, x is planning to come to our temple. Do they have any CPO restrictions?” And the CPO can respond “X is clear” or “X has a...

ISKCON North America Bans Lokanath

ISKCON North America Bans Lokanath

North American Council NA GBC and Regional LeadersInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessFounder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada24 October 2022Statement:As per the recent GBC resolution stating "Lokanath Swami shall not initiate...

ISKCON Europe Upholds Ban on Lokanath

ISKCON Europe Bans Lokanath

Dear European Leaders,Please accept our humble obeisances.All glories to Srila Prabhupada!With this message, we like to inform you about the decision on H.H. Lokanatha Swami that was taken by the Euro RGB during the recent meeting in Radhadesha.Resolution...

Lokanath Loophole

Lokanath’s Admissions of Molesting a Child

These are a dozen confirmed instances between 1993 and 2017 when Lokanath admitted to his sexual abuse of a child.  This is a partial list as there have been other in-person conversations, phone calls, and correspondence where Lokanath talked about his sexual abuse of...

ISKCON North America Bans Lokanath

2022 GBC Resolution: Refraining from Interfering in Investigations

REFRAINING THE GBC FROM INTERVENING IN THE WORK OF VARIOUS ISKCON AGENCIES, OFFICES AND COMMITTEES Approved 20th JULY 2022WHEREAS the GBC Body (“GBC”) has created various ISKCON agencies, offices and committees to which it has delegated authority to deal with abuse of...

We ask the leadership of the Hare Krishna movement to set a clear and strong precedent for, and priority of, zero tolerance for child abuse – by handing Lokanath Swami’s child molestation case over to the ISKCON Child Protection Office.