ISKCON Mumbai’s review petition against the judgment of May 16, 2025 — every order the Court has passed, the complete December 3 record, ISKCON Bangalore’s response, and the hearing itself, on video and in text.
01
The earlier orders of the review petition — R.P.(C) No. 2578/2025 in C.A. No. 9313/2014, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Mumbai v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Bangalore & Ors. — reproduced verbatim with the official scans. The order of December 3, 2025 and ISKCON Bangalore’s response are set out in full below on this page.
Transcribed as printed in the Records of Proceedings, including clerical spellings (“Geroge”, “Madhupant Das”, the repeated “and for”).
The review petition, filed under Diary No. 37957/2025, is placed before the Chief Justice, who assigns it to a two-judge bench. A purely administrative step.
Coram · by circulation
The Chief Justice · Justice Augustine George Masih
“Circulate before a Bench comprising Hon’ble Mr. Justice J. K. Maheshwari and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Augustine Geroge Masih.”
The assigned bench takes up the petitions by circulation and defers them. One line.
Coram · by circulation
Justice J.K. Maheshwari · Justice Augustine George Masih
“Circulate the Review Petitions after four weeks.”
The two judges differ. Justice Maheshwari would list the petitions in open court and issue notice. Justice Masih examines the petitions and dismisses them outright — finding no error in the May 16 judgment. Because of the divergence, the petitions go to the Chief Justice of India.
Worth pausing on: Justice Masih — a co-author of the May 16, 2025 judgment — examined the review petitions in full and found “no error apparent on the face of record or any merit” in them.
Coram · by circulation
Justice J.K. Maheshwari · Justice Augustine George Masih
Per Justice J.K. Maheshwari
“1. Delay condoned.
2. Applications for listing the Review Petitions in open Court are allowed.
3. Notice be issued to the parties.”
Per Justice Augustine George Masih
“1. Delay condoned.
2. Applications for oral hearing are rejected.
3. After having carefully gone through the Review Petitions, the Judgment under review and the material annexed therewith, I am satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of record or any merit in the Review Petitions, warranting reconsideration of the judgment impugned. The Review Petitions are, accordingly, dismissed.
4. Applications for filing fresh documents are declined.
5. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.”
Record of proceedings
“1. Delay condoned.
2. In view of the divergent views expressed by the Hon’ble Judges, the review petitions be placed before Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India for directions and to do the needful.”
02
Headlines said the case was “reopened.” Here is everything from that day in one place — the complete order, plain-language notes, and ISKCON Bangalore’s response. The hearing itself is embedded below.
Coram · open court
Justice M.M. Sundresh · Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra · Justice Satish Chandra Sharma
In summary
The Supreme Court has not reopened the case. On December 3, 2025 the Court issued notice on ISKCON Mumbai’s review petition — a routine procedural step — and listed the matter for directions on January 22, 2026, expressly “only for the purpose of ensuring that notices have been served.” The matter was not taken up that day, and no fresh date has been notified since. The Court granted no stay, recorded no finding, and decided nothing on the merits; whether the review petition is even maintainable is yet to be considered. The judgment of May 16, 2025, which decreed the Hare Krishna Hill temple to ISKCON Bangalore, remains fully in force today.
The complete order · R.P.(C) No. 2578/2025 · open court
“Applications for listing Review Petitions in open Court and for oral hearing are allowed.
Applications for permission to file additional documents and for and for permission to file fresh documents are allowed.
Issue notice.
Mr. Vikas Singh Jangra, learned AOR accepts notice on behalf of respondent — International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Bangalore and Mr. Kartik Seth, learned counsel accept notice on behalf of respondent — Madhupant Das.
Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner is permitted to serve the remaining respondents through online mode. Dasti, in addition, is permitted.
List the matter on 22.01.2026 at 3.00 P.M. for directions, only for the purpose of ensuring that notices have been served on all the respondents. We further make it clear that on the date to be fixed for hearing, the question of review jurisdiction as well as issues on merits will be heard and considered.
Parties are directed to complete the pleadings within a period of six weeks from the date of service of notice.
Learned counsel appearing for the parties are permitted to file their respective convenience compilation(s).”
The Court issued notice — a procedural step to ensure all parties are informed. It did not set aside, stay, or reconsider anything.
Review jurisdiction is still open — the Court has not yet decided whether the review petition is even maintainable, let alone whether the judgment contains any error.
Review is a narrow remedy — under settled law, a review is confined to errors apparent on the face of the record. It is not a rehearing of the case.
One judge has already found no error — on October 28, 2025, Justice Augustine George Masih, a co-author of the May 16 judgment, examined the review petitions and would have dismissed them, finding “no error apparent on the face of record or any merit.” The split with Justice Maheshwari is why a three-judge bench now hears the matter (full text).
The January 22, 2026 listing did not take place — the matter was not taken up that day, and no fresh date has been notified since. This section will be updated when it is.
The May 16, 2025 judgment remains fully in force — no stay was granted; the temple stands decreed to ISKCON Bangalore today. All orders in the review petition are published in full text here.
Press release · to whomsoever it may concern · 03.12.2025
“We came across news articles stating that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear pleas for review of the May 16, 2025, verdict on the claim over the ISKCON Hare Krishna Hill temple decreed in favour of ISKCON Bangalore.
We would like to clarify that the Supreme Court has only issued a notice to ISKCON Bangalore. The decision to review its May 16 verdict will be made by the Supreme Court in the next hearing in February 2026. To say that the Supreme Court has decided to review, or that it has admitted the review petition, will be incorrect reporting.
Also, the members of ISKCON Mumbai have falsely stated that the renowned Akshaya Patra programme is their flagship project. However, the facts are as below:
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an independent charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act 1882 (Reg. No. 154). ISKCON Bangalore is the SETTLOR of this Foundation as per the Trust Deed executed on Oct 16, 2001. ISKCON Bangalore was represented by its President, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, who is also the Founder and Chairman of Akshaya Patra. Under his visionary leadership, Akshaya Patra has grown to become the world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme, having served close to 5 billion meals since inception.
It is important to note that both ISKCON Society registered in Mumbai in 1971 and ISKCON Society registered in Bangalore in 1978 have the name only as “ISKCON” in their registration certificates. Hence, the name “ISKCON India” is not the name of ISKCON registered in Mumbai. The cause title of the Supreme Court bears evidence of the names of the two societies.
ISKCON Mumbai (or ISKCON India) has no connection whatsoever with The Akshaya Patra Foundation. Also, the legal dispute between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai, which began in the year 2000, predates the establishment of Akshaya Patra. Hence, any claims of ownership made by their officials or spokespersons are contrary to these facts and misleading.
Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman of ISKCON Bangalore Group of Temples and The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “We are confident that the judgment rendered by the Supreme Court in favour of ISKCON Bangalore on May 16 is flawless and has no errors on the face of the records. Hence, we are confident that the review petition will be dismissed in the next hearing to be listed in February next year, when the admissibility of the same will be considered”
We would like you to publish these clarifications immediately so that our stakeholders and the public at large become aware of the facts of the situation.”
Naveena Neerada Dasa · Head of Global Communications
ISKCON Bangalore Group of Temples and The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The December 3, 2025 hearing, in full. Watch it, then compare it with the headlines.
Supreme Court hearing of December 3, 2025 · in full · transcript below
An unofficial transcript of the exchange, prepared from the video above and lightly edited for readability. Speaker attributions are approximate. It is not the court’s record — the order in section 02 is the official record of what was decided; where this transcript and the video differ, the video prevails.
…finding that there was no challenge that a particular application for allotment of the land is manipulated or forged or fabricated — that we never disputed the document.
You have disputed it.
Yes. And therefore, my lords, this honourable court comes to the conclusion that if the application is not disputed and is genuine, then it follows that the sale deed — even though the sale deed by the Bangalore Development Authority is in my favour, though it does not refer to the registration number or the name of the Karnataka society, which is the plaintiff — must also therefore be in their favour. That, my lords, is the substratum, in my respectful submission, of the judgment in this matter. Now, my lords, the second aspect is this. The background becomes relevant here. The division-bench judgment, my lords, heavily relies on the admissions made by the president of this alleged Karnataka society in four suits, my lords, that had been filed before this one in the years 1999 till 2001. In the first, one suit is filed in Bombay by a third party espousing the cause of this gentleman, Shri Madhu Pandit Das, the president of — let’s call it the temple at Bangalore, the Hare Krishna temple in Bangalore. The other three suits are filed by Shri Madhu Pandit Das himself, as the president, and in each of these three suits he admits in so many words — and I will place the averments in just one of them — that he is the president of the Bangalore branch of the defendant society; that in fact the temple, my lords, the land is allotted and the temple built on behalf of the branch; that he is submitting accounts on behalf of this branch to the Bombay society, that is ourselves; and it is undisputed, my lords, that between the formation of the Bangalore branch and the year 2001, all income taxes have been filed by consolidating the accounts of the Bangalore branch into the accounts of the parent society, which is the Bombay society. Thereafter, my lords, what happens here is this: after he files these three suits and tries to get an injunction against the Bombay society — that is the 1971 society formed by Srila Prabhupada himself — after he tries and fails to get an interim injunction to maintain his position as president of the Bangalore branch, he does this complete volte-face, my lords, and says now that there is this independent society. And this society, in fact — and I am not disputing this — was formed in 1978, but after that none of the formalities were observed, is the finding of the division-bench judgment. Now, the more important point which I am coming to is this: as an error apparent on the face of the record, one of the recast points for decision framed by the division bench is what is the effect of these judicial admissions on the case. Despite that, the judgment under review does not make even one reference to these judicial admissions, which is accepted, completely ousted the case…
It becomes a relevant fact.
Yes — of the plaintiff society.
Discussion at the bench of judges.
Kindly respond by issue noticing — but what will you do, we will not give a review.
But the scope of the review jurisdiction is limited.
My lords, no, my lords.
The order of… 47, 14, 14 and 14, we know that. But what we can do — we will hear it, but we will hear it both on merit and review, because we don’t wish to hear it piecemeal. We will give a specific date.
Yes.
We will give a specific date, 2 o’clock…
Yes, my lords.
…sometime in February, we will give a date. You just — we will hear you then.
Yes.
And then we are not deciding any issue now.
Yes. All we wanted was…
…to put the issues on the scope of review and on merit.
Correct.
Yes, scope of review and merit — because actually what is being done is to re-argue; that can’t be done.
No issues. OK. A finding of fact has been wrongly recorded contrary to what is available — then it is a ground for review.
Yes.
There is an issue which came up for conscious consideration before the court under the judgment, which has not been dealt with — and had it been dealt with, the decision would have been different — it is a ground for review.
All these have been dealt with. Yes.
Whether this factor has been dealt with or not, we will point out.
Yes, we will point out.
Then in that process, we don’t want to do it piecemeal, in order to say one thing or the other. Let us have it — at least thrash it out one way or the other. Shall we have a 2 o’clock review, because it is a special bench.
What had happened all these years — it was being managed by a judge, a retired justice, Ravindran. The moment this judgment came, it has gone back to…
But now we can’t put it back again.
I am just saying, therefore, there is an element of this.
OK, OK. That’s it. We don’t want to cause an interim. Then we will give a date in February.
Very well.
We will take it up on Wednesday or Thursday, regular date.
It is better, my lords, than Wednesday. … Yes, my lords.
My lords, may I only suggest — your lordships allow us to serve, by all means…
Yes.
…all the parties…
Yes.
…so that there will be no…
You are appearing for only a few of the parties, is it?
Two parties.
We are appearing for respondent number one and Madhu Pandit Das.
Who is that?
Who is the president, my lord?
Which respondent is he?
He is in the second matter.
Second matter — he is respondent number one.
OK, one second.
I think there may be other parties. There are a number of other parties.
To serve, trustee and… The registrar is directed to complete the pleadings within a period of six weeks.
We will give a convenience compilation.
Yes, a convenience compilation. The third week is fine, for all of you.
OK, my lord.
May I only suggest newspaper publication as well, my lordships?
Unless you serve it and then…
No, the difficulty will be — otherwise you will get adjourned again. Because the parties…
Newspaper publication is an alternative mode of publication.
First let them take an effort.
The bench confers.
My brother said — first let the notice be served, then we will give a date.
Very well.
So then when would my lordships like to put it?
We can keep it in February. In the meanwhile, this service of notice and all can be looked into by the registrar.
May I suggest this, only subject to my lordships’ convenience — your lordships may put it for directions in January.
Okay.
And then my lordships… then only for this purpose. You put your third week of January for directions — only for the purpose of ensuring that notice has been served on all the respondents. This is urgent, to issue notice. And all the parties can file their pleadings in the meantime.
We can take it up on that date, and then thereafter we will get sufficient time.
Very well. Grateful, my lords.
We will further make it clear that on the date to be fixed for hearing — it will be February — there will be jurisdiction over review as well as on the merits of the review.
Most grateful to you, my lordships.
Because only for the case of verifying…
On the lighter side — what Lord Krishna must be thinking about all this.
There have been attempts of mediation. We have made offers. It should be sorted out. It should be. And the society has been functioning very well.
Is it possible to make one attempt through any other judge of this court?
And the Bangalore society has started this Akshaya Patra, and billions of meals have been served, my lords, and huge…
They have taken something that belongs to us — but that’s another matter.
Extraordinary — completely the Bangalore society.
I just have one submission.
On the lighter end — obviously both sides think that nothing belongs to them, and everything belongs to God.
That’s right.
They are trying to achieve consciousness. That’s very unfortunate.
Thank you.
Grateful, my lords.
Appearances as per the record of proceedings: for the petitioners — Mr. S. Prabhakaran, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Mr. Manan Mishra, Mr. Krishnan Venugopal, Sr. Advs. · for the respondents — Mr. C.S. Vaidyanathan, Mr. Rakesh Dwivedi, Mr. Jaideep Gupta, Sr. Advs., Mr. Vikas Singh Jangra, AOR, Mr. Kartik Seth · full appearance list in the order