A federal investigation into labor trafficking allegations at the BAPS Akshardham temple in Robbinsville has been closed, attorneys for the Hindu spiritual organization told a judge this week.
The decision clears the way for a civil lawsuit to move forward in court after nearly four years on hold.
The BAPS temple, which celebrated its grand dedication opening ceremony in 2023, is the largest Hindu mandir in the Western Hemisphere, and the third-largest in the world.
In a letter dated Sept. 18, Paul J. Fishman, an attorney for BAPS, said the U.S. Department of Justice recently informed them it has ended its probe into the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and its affiliates.
With the DOJ investigation now closed, the civil case will resume in federal court. BAPS attorneys said they will confer with opposing counsel to propose a schedule for the next phase of litigation, including a formal response to the plaintiffs’ amended complaint.
The DOJ had been investigating claims made by dozens of former workers who alleged they were recruited from India under religious visas, forced to work long hours on temple construction, and paid as little as $1.20 an hour.
This story was originally published in communitynews.org. Read the full story here.
