Correos electrónicos del director de la Oficina Central de Protección Infantil de ISKCON (ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection) sobre el expediente de Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami (20 de abril y 1 de mayo de 1999), que reenvían las notas de entrevistas del Equipo de Protección Infantil de Mayapur de 1991 y 1998

[Transcription of the published (redacted) pages. Each black box is shown as [redacted]; obvious print glitches are kept as printed.]

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Subj:   Re: Re: Mayapur school
Date:   Tuesday, April 20, 1999 8:37:52 AM
From:   Dgovinda
To:     Hari.Sauri.ACBSP@com.bbt.se, Laxmimoni.ACBSP@com.bbt.se,
        Sesa.ACBSP@com.bbt.se, Braja.Bihari.BJD@com.bbt.se, Ijyadasa,
        MCPT@com.bbt.se

In a message dated 4/19/99 7:00:24 PM, Hari.Sauri.ACBSP@com.bbt.se
wrote:

<<We would like to know if BVPS himself knows
there is a case file on him?>>

Yes. In a lengthy letter I sent yesterday, which hopefully you've received
by now, I described my conversation with BVPM regarding his personal
case. Hare Krsna.

Your servant,

Dhira Govinda dasa

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Subj:   case files
Date:   Saturday, May 1, 1999 3:50:40 PM
From:   Dgovinda
To:     Ijyadasa

Ijya Prabhu- The document below has information on several alleged
abusers, including Gopavrndapal, Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja, [redacted]
[redacted] [redacted] [redacted] Ananta Rupa,
[redacted] Nitai Chand Maharaja, [redacted]
[redacted] Devashish, and [redacted]. The file should go in the case file
(hard copy and disk copy) of each of the alleged abusers. You can either
include in the individual files only the relevant sections for that
particular case, or include the entire document in each file, and highlight
the relevant section(s). Thanks. Hare Krsna.

Your servant, Dhira Govinda dasa

Interview with [redacted] about past abuse in Bhaktividya Purnas Swamis
ashram

(As told to Anantarupa and Dayaram das on April 28, 1998)

Not long ago [redacted] disclosed to [redacted] that he was not only
abused by [redacted] as recorded in the CPT files but also by
[redacted] and on top of that he was fondled by Gopavrindapal. [redacted]
added that [redacted] gave written testimony to Manu and that Manu
is conducting an extensive investigation and has already accumulated a
lot of material on what happened in BVPS's school in the past.

When I asked about instances of Maharaj receiving reports about abuse and
not acting upon them, he came up with the following statements:

1) [redacted] reported about [redacted] (from Katwa) and [redacted]
and apparently Maharaj said something like: "It is nothing , it is only the
western mentality that you see it like that."

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2) Ask [redacted] about him reporting to Maharaj
3) Ask my brother, [redacted]
4) When I saw the gurukul cook, Shivaraj, abuse [redacted] in the toilet
(Shivaraja was naked and threatened to kill me if I ever told anyone), I
asked [redacted] what to do and he said: "Do not tell Maharaj, you will get
whacked!"
5) [redacted] who lives in Svarupganj also knows so much
6) [redacted] was abused in broad day light by [redacted].

Dayaram remarked that BVPS was fearful of some boys. In 91 he asked
Uttamasloka to throw out [redacted]. [redacted] had threatened even
Toshan Krishna and TK got very scared. Dayaram added that he himself
was not afraid of [redacted]. In fact he personally slapped him a few
times.

Informal conversation with [redacted] (summarised by Anantarupa das
on April 21, 1998)

Today [redacted] told me that Bhanu Swami mentioned to him that
Maharaja's boys still keep a grudge against me and all other CPT members.
Apparently they are proud that they 'crushed and humiliated the CPT' and
'forced them to dro µp the case'. I replied that I do not understand why
they are mad at me as it was not me who made the allegation, rather it
was [redacted] and that they should be mad at Bir Krishna Gosvami
because it was him who indicated that Maharaja's scan questionnaire does
not absolutely clear him and that he might be withholding something. He
did say that [redacted] might be projecting something on Maharaj but he
also said that [redacted] is basically honest and not insane. I said that
as far as I am concerned the case is still pending, because as of yet no one
has clearly established that [redacted] has a motive to make a false
allegation nor has anyone established that he is clinically mad.

I then said that there is no need for them to panic because if Maharaj is
really innocent, the truth will certainly come to light and [redacted]
agreed. Why did they do this? I then said: "The boys feel sorry for
Maharaja, that he has to undergo so much trouble but what about the
many boys whose life has been ruined because they have been abused in
the gurukul? Who feels sorry for [redacted] who came to the gurukul

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at the age of 6 or 7 because his parents (Jayapataka Maharaja disciples)
wanted him to become a first class devotee? He was sexually abused
several times and left Mayapur visibly screwed up? and I think his parents
were not even informed... Or what about the Russian boy [redacted]
who is now so bitter about ISKCON that he does not want to have anything
to do with devotees. He was raped by an ashram monitor named
[redacted] and [redacted] from Finland reported it to Maharaj but
Maharaj did not take any action ..."

[redacted] then said "yes, I also reported two instances of sexual
misconduct to Maharaj, but he said something like 'the boys are simply
hallucinating'." [redacted] had disclosed to [redacted] that one boy
approached him at night, opened his kaupin and tried to stick his genital
inside [redacted]'s backside but [redacted] resi Ñsted and got away.
[redacted] indicated that [redacted] managed to escape on this occasion
but was abused on at least one other one. He then said "why don't you talk
to [redacted] or [redacted] in Vrindavan. They have seen so many things
which they told others." I then said that [redacted] did not tell me
anything when I interviewed him. "But when these boys are talking
amongst themselves, then they speak about these things. " [redacted] then
said that [redacted] is now a fringee in Vrindavan (he was supposed to
study Sanskrit there) and is in Maya and that he partly blames Maharaj for
his misfortune. Apparently he was abused once or twice and was so
frightened that he kept a knife under his bed. It seems that he also
reported instances of abuse to Maharaj but no action was taken. On one
occasion apparently five boys abused (gangraped?) another boy while
thirty others stood around his Òbed and cheered them on. [redacted] felt
that we should interview [redacted] and that this might help the
investigation.

Note (added on 4/26/98):

When I told [redacted] that I did not understand why Maharaj did not take
resolute action whenever cases of sexual abuse were reported to him, he
said that he felt that maybe Maharaj was afraid of some boys who were
like gundas (criminals). [redacted] vaguely remembered hearing something
like: Maharaj punished one of these fellows and some other boys then

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threatened physical violence to Maharaj.

Conversation with [redacted] on the 6th of March, 1998
(based on the notes of Anantarupa Das)

Ananda Vrindavana started these (abusive) activities in 79. Later
Anantarupa continued. He was principal for 2 or 3 years, then Bhavananda
threw him out. Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami came in 82. Nandaram was
ashram teacher. [redacted] were in the school. They were in
Nandarama's ashram. So were [redacted] and [redacted]. [redacted] from
Australia was another homose xual boy. Every night he was bothering
other boys. Once he came to bother me. He touched my body. I told him to
get lost. [redacted] was also there at the time. [redacted] engaged
in homosexual activities with [redacted]. One time [redacted] approached
a boy named [redacted] something for sex but the guy beat him up. I don't
remember his name. [redacted] might remember some of these things.
[redacted] from Australia was there at the time. Murari Gupta was one of
the ashram teachers at the time.

Only [redacted] slept with Maharaja on the floor of the veranda. All
other boys slept inside the house. There were around nine houses in total.
The incident with me happened in a different place than the one with
[redacted]. I was sleeping in the same bed with Mahraja because there
was a storm. I told Maharaja that I was afraid and he told me to sleep
with him. My age was around 13 or 14. I dont remember clearly whether or
not I had a separate blanket. Before Yashoda's class I thought that
touching is alright ...  "that it is not so serious. Why should I make this
up. I do not want to give trouble to BVPS but if he has this attitude I think
he should not be involved in gurukula.

Conversation with [redacted] on 15h of March, 1998 (summarised by
Anantarupa das)

[redacted] told me that he heard that the boys from Maharaja's ashram
are attacking me. I replied that they are also getting on his case and that
they think he is crazy and that he made up a false allegation. He was not
terribly disturbed about this and said: "Why should I lie and get myself in

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big trouble and ruin my reputation?" He again asserted that he simply
spoke up because Yashoda had made him aware that even touching is abuse
and that he feels that whoever commits abuse should be given his dues. I
then told him that someone testified on behalf of Maharaj by saying that
[redacted] is obviously mad, because he once chased an ashram teacher
with a knife which caused that particular † teacher to resign.
[redacted] laughed and said that he never chased anyone with a knife and
they should provide the name of that ashram teacher and produce
witnesses. He felt that this referred to the one incident with Nandaram
which he had recounted to us earlier (Nandaram chased him with a brick
because he thought [redacted] had kicked a ball into the tulasi garden).
He asserted 2 or 3 times that he never chased anyone with a knife.

I then mentioned that Nandar Nandana also testified on behalf of Maharaj
by stating that "he never saw anything improper and he also did not see
Maharaj sleeping with [redacted]". [redacted] replied that
Nandanandana was in the gurukula only for a short time and that he was in
charge of another ashrama. In other words, he did not sleep in the same
house. When I asked him whether or not incidents of sexual abuse were
reported to Maharaja, he was not quite sure but felt "that ÊMaharaja
definitely knew about [redacted]'s case". Perhaps [redacted] who
is now in Sri Lanka and is a known abuser himself) might know. [redacted]
was another boy in Maharaja's ashram who was an abuser. When I
asked him whether or not Nandaram abused kids at the time, [redacted]
said he could not say ... He also said that the boys were talking amongst
themselves about the sexual abuse that was going on .
(Note: Madhusudana, a Harikesh Maharaj disciple who has been serving in
the gurukula for the last few years mentioned to me some time around
Gaur Purnima 98 that [redacted], a Bengali boy who was in Maharaja's
ashram for many years, told him that the big boys were coming almost
every night to abuse small boys and that this was going on literally
hundreds of times. Apparently [redacted] was so afraid that he kept a
weapon under his bed to protect himself. It is said that two other boys,
[redacted], kept a stick with nails and a knife respectively
under their bed to ß protect themselves from assault.) [redacted]
wanted to know whether or not we had interviewed [redacted] who is
in Calcutta temple.

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Conversation with [redacted] on April 9, 1998 (transcribed from
memory by Anantarupa Das)

Yesterday evening I met [redacted] while walking home and he asked me
how the investigation was going. He volunteered the information that
Dayaram had chastised him. Apparently Dayaram said something to the
effect that BPS and BVPS are important devotees and they cannot be
sacked on the spur of the moment simply because [redacted] said
something against them. [redacted] kind of indicated that he was upset
and intends to leave no stone unturned and that he is ready "to go to the
GBC" to attain justice. Basically he was giving the message "when are you
finally closing this investigation?". I told him that one cannot rush a
touchy investigation like this and that the CPT is active to bring the
investigation to a conclusion as soon as possible. I also told him that
things go so slow because in this case some witnesses are in America,
others untraceable etc.

When I asked him under which circumstances he left the gurukula - was he
thrown out by Maharaja? - he first replied that he was not thrown out,
rather he left out of his own accord. Then he said that he had a
misunderstanding with Murari Gupta and that was the reason why he left. I
then asked him again whether or not he had ever attacked anyone with a
knife and he denied again. I said that Maharaja's boys quoted this alleged
incident as evidence that he is mentally disturbed. I also told him that
basically they are saying that he "imagined or hallucinated" the incidents.
Then I asked a few questions about the night when the alleged incident
happened. In reply to my inquiry, he explained that he was scared because
of the storm and went and informed Maharaj and that Maharaj then told
him 'to sleep with him. He said he was lying on his back when Maharaj
started touching his private parts. He said Maharaj did not kiss him and
did not embrace him but did press his body against his. He said he felt
uncomfortable in the situation, particularly because the way Maharaj
handled his genital hurt. He use the term "he tried to masturbate". [redacted] said
the whole incident took about 5 to 7 minutes and that he "removed"
Maharaja's hand when it hurt too much. He said he did not notice whether
or not BPS had an erection as he was preoccupied with what was
hapeneing to his private part. He said that there were 2 of 3 other boys in

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the room and that some other boys had gone out "for a program or
something".

He said that once, before that night, [redacted], another boy from
Maharaja's ashram, had approached him and touched him just like a wife
touches her husband and that he was disturbed about it and told Maharaj.
But Maharaja did not do anything and so he told Nitai Chand Maharaj. As
a reaction, another boy from the ashram, [redacted], beat him up and
that is why he was scared to report such incidents (such as the one that
happened to him with Maharaj). He stressed again that he only reported
this case because after Yashoda's seminar it finally dawned on him that
even touching is sexual abuse.

Extracts of informal conversation between Anantarupa Das and [redacted]
[redacted] (16, Gurukula boy from South America); 30 th of May 1991

[redacted]: "Almost all Bengali boys are involved in this ... [redacted] is
the boss. [redacted] sexually assaulted [redacted] in the presence
of [redacted], who told Maharaj but was merely reprimanded and told to
keep his mouth shut. [redacted] personally took shelter of me.
[redacted], [redacted] and Gopavrindapala are also involved. I saw how
Gopavrindapal approached [redacted] from behind but [redacted] said :"Go to the
small boys!" He also gave a weird massage to [redacted] who was too
embarrassed and scared to stop him or say anything. Devashish is also an
abuser. [redacted] left the gurukula because he was afraid of [redacted]
[redacted] who wanted to hold his hand...I believe that [redacted] is a full
fledged homosexual. He tried to hold my hand on more than one occasion
and also caressed my cheek. Do not mention my name. I do not want to get
trouble just like last time when I was told in the Vrindavan flat that
Bhakti Purushottama Swami and [redacted] are also "like that" but when I
told others I got the sauce...The whole gurukula knows about this
investigation. Even small boys are involved..."

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