A recent ruling from a court in Jammu and Kashmir has resulted in a self-styled godman being sentenced to 30 days in jail following his refusal to compensate for a frivolous complaint about the improper performance of Hindu rituals at a temple. The decision was rendered in the case Sita Ram Dass Guru Awadh Bihari Dass v. Bishan Dass and Others.
The District Judicial Mobile Magistrate, Rishabh Koushal, issued the order on June 8, mandating that the complainant, Baba Sita Ram Dass, serve simple imprisonment unless he deposits the ₹49,000 compensation initially ordered by the court. This amount is to be distributed among seven temple committee members, with each receiving ₹7,000.
The Rajasthan-based godman had claimed that temple management conducted religious ceremonies incorrectly, including improper placement of idols and Shivlings, contrary to Hindu customs. Furthermore, Dass insisted he was owed a promised salary for his caretaking services, yet received only ₹1,700.
However, the court identified substantial flaws in his complaint. It noted that the complaint pertained to incidents from 2017, making it barred by limitation since it was filed in 2026. Moreover, even if the factual allegations were assumed true, they did not constitute a crime.
“Criminal law cannot be invoked to enforce specific interpretations of religious rituals,” the court stated, highlighting that there was no malicious intent alleged that could insult religious sentiments. It further emphasized that personal religious views are not lawful mandates that can be imposed on others.
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The court observed that Dass seemed to leverage the criminal complaint to address a civil dispute concerning his unpaid salary. As a result, the complaint was deemed false, frivolous, and vexatious, leading to the order for compensation.
Despite his claims of protecting Hinduism, the court maintained that the religion is robust and does not require frivolous litigation for its defense. “In a diverse society like India, the Constitution allows individuals to practice religion as per their beliefs, within legal boundaries, which the complainant failed to show,” the court noted.
After failing to pay the compensation and skipping a court hearing, the godman was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment under Section 273 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). An arrest warrant was issued, and police subsequently detained him, presenting him before the court on June 8.
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The court also criticized the godman for wasting judicial resources on unnecessary litigation, detracting from addressing genuine disputes. The complainant was represented by Advocate Sanjeet Kumar Bavoria, while Advocate Yog Raj Sharma defended the temple committee members.
