4:57pm Tuesday 15th July 2008
By Filip Hnizdo
The president of a Hare Krishna temple in Letchmore Heath has resigned after being found responsible for beating students in India.
Gauri Das, president of Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hilfield Lane, inflicted "inappropriate and excessive corporal punishment" according to the child protection branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Seventeen former students and three adults gave statements alleging abuse.
The abuse occured during his time teaching at the Vrndavana Gurukula school between 1991 and 2001.
ISKCON has prohibited Gauri Das from serving in a position of leadership in temples for the next three years, also prohibiting him from giving classes.
A spokesperson for the temple said: "We regret that Gauri Das will not be able to continue as an officer of our temple, but we also recognise the important need of the child protection office to acknowledge problems in the care of children in the past, and to address those issues.
"We are pleased that Gauri Das has indicated that he would like to meet with the former students in the hope of further reconciliation."
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