Delhi HC grants protection to man accused of diverting ISKCON temple funds during Kumbh Mela

New Delhi [India], January 30 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted protection from arrest to a man accused of diverting funds of Rs 2-3 crore of the Iskcon temple in Dwarka during Kumbh Mela 2025 and misappropriation of Rs. 21.45 Lakh.
An FIR was lodged in October 2025 at the Dwarka North police station. His anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the trial court on January 12th.
The High Court granted relief to the accused after noting a long delay in lodging the FIR, and that he was removed from his job in June 2025, despite being given Rs 21.45 lakh to deposit in the account of the Department of the temple.
Justice Prateek Jalan granted relief to Ram Prakash Dubey as protection from arrest by the police till the next date of hearing.
While granting protection from arrest, the High Court noted that, even as per the allegations recorded in the FIR, the temple authorities became aware of the applicant's alleged misappropriation of funds and destruction of records during the Kumbh Mela 2025, but the complaint was only made in September 2025.
The bench further noted that, "According to the applicant, he was removed from service on 11.06.2025, but even in the FIR, it is stated that, despite the allegations against him related to the Kumbh Mela, a sum of Rs. 21. 45 lakh was handed over to him on 28.07.2025 for deposit in the Accounts Department.
"In these circumstances, on a prima facie consideration of the material, I am of the
view that the applicant is entitled to ad-interim protection," Justice Jalan ordered on January 29th.
The High Court has directed Dubey to join the investigation as and when directed by the Investigation Officer (IO) and to cooperate with the investigation, and has ordered, "it is directed that the applicant will not be arrested in connection with the subject FIR until the next date of hearing."
The court has directed the police to file a status report three days before the next hearing date. The complainant, Sunit Goyal, has been granted liberty to file a reply. Matter is Listed on March 24th, 2026.
Advocate Amit Kumar alongwith with Khushboo Sharma, appeared for Ram Prakash Dubey.
They argued that the allegations against the applicant are a counterblast to a complaint and
legal notice issued by him on August 21st, 2025. He further submitted that Dubey was, in fact, removed from service on June 11th, 2025, by an oral order of removal. The filing of the complaint and the registration of the FIR are unduly delayed.
On the other hand, the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) submitted that the complaint was, in fact, made to the police authorities on Septmeber 5th, 2025, and the FIR was registered on October 10th, 2025, after a preliminary inquiry.
As per the FIR, the applicant and his wife were allegedly involved in serious financial mismanagement, criminal breach of trust, destruction of records, physical assault, extortion, and theft of temple money and property.
It is stated that during the Kumbh Mela held at Prayagraj in early 2025, Ram Prakash Dubey was placed under close observation by the temple's management, in light of prior complaints regarding his conduct.
According to the FIR, it came to the notice of the management that the applicant was involved in the unauthorised diversion and misuse of temple funds, estimated to be in the range of Rs. 2-3 Crores.
It was also discovered that the applicant had destroyed the labour attendance register of the temple in order to conceal the financial irregularities, and when he was confronted in this regard, he manhandled and physically assaulted two of the temple employees. (ANI)