This is a case currently before the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, pitting six Indian employees against Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS Lawsuit), a Hindu organization, and a number of its leaders (NBC News, May 2021; Community News, September 2025). NBC News and Community News detailed this case, and this overview provides the assertions by the plaintiffs, defense, courts and federal prosecutors, and the latest information available. All the assertions below are not proven, unless a court of law has ruled on them.
What is BAPS lawsuit?
This case was filed on May 11, 2021, in U.S. District Court for New Jersey by six individual employees against BAPS and its leaders (NBC News, “Hindu temple in New Jersey accused of ‘shocking violations’ in forced-labor lawsuit”). According to NBC News and Community News, at least 200 Indian employees working at the Robbinsville temple would be part of the class. On the same day of the filing of the case, NBC News and Community News reported that federal agents of the FBI were at the temple complex.
- Passports were taken and workers were confined in a compound monitored by guards and cameras (NBC News).
- According to Community News and Yahoo News Canada, workers were paid the equivalent of around $450 a month and did construction and stone-cutting work.
- A lawsuit was filed for unpaid wages and damages (NBC News).
BAPS forced labor: the legal claims
The plaintiffs claim that BAPS and various leaders violated the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (Community News). These claims are civil. A criminal investigation by federal prosecutors, which followed the raid, is separate (Community News).
BAPS R-1 visa: how the workers were brought
According to NBC News, the plaintiffs claim that the workers came on R-1, religious-worker and volunteer visas. The plaintiffs claim the work done was below minimum wage, and therefore not religious service (Community News). BAPS claimed the workers were volunteers (see below). Our guide to caste discrimination in the workplace explains United States employment law and discrimination in the workplace in general.
What BAPS says
BAPS has claimed the workers were artisans and volunteers providing religious service, known as ‘Seva,’ and not employees (Community News). BAPS leaders have claimed the workers provided service out of devotion and cultural tradition (Community News). BAPS also has claimed some plaintiffs later withdrew from the lawsuit after they were misled into believing their participation would further the goal of BAPS (Community News). According to the Religion News Service (September 2025), a misleading lawsuit against BAPS resulted in 15 plaintiffs in the amended complaint. 12 of the 15 plaintiffs later voluntarily withdrew from the complaint stating they were misled by plaintiff’s attorneys (Religion News Service, September 2025). A practitioner of BAPS and scholar of Hinduism, Dr. Trivedi, has said culture and religious mistranslation created the confusion regarding the labor allegations against BAPS (Religion News Service). BAPS welcomed the DOJ’s decision to discontinue their investigation on September 18, 2025 (Community News).
Robbinsville temple lawsuit: timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Lawsuit Filed; FBI at complex (NBC News) | 5/11/21 |
| Civil case stayed (Community News) | 11/2021 |
| Amended complaint adds plaintiffs, 12 withdraw | Later 2021 (RNS) |
| Township police find code violations at volunteer housing; later said issues resolved | 3/2023 (USA Today 10/2023) |
| DOJ closes criminal investigation | 9/2025 (RNS) |
Where the case stands
Last reliable report I found, Sept 2025, DOJ closed criminal investigation without charges, and case expected to return to federal court for civil suit (RNS; Community News). Later report, (Yahoo News Canada) reports the BAPS community still has interest in justice. Class Action status and expanding case to as many as 600 BAPS workers in U.S. was sought by plaintiff’s attorney (USA Today). No court ruling, allegations, or settlement was reported. Please refer to court documents for case status.
The caste aspect
Plaintiffs referred to the caste of the workers in their lawsuit, and indicated that BAPS recruited from Scheduled Castes, and other marginalized communities (Yahoo News Canada, quoting complaint). Community News report names Plaintiffs as consisting of members of the marginalized Dalit communities (Community News). BAPS denied the allegations in their entirety. A Hindu advocacy website stated that the media coverage of the case was not balanced, and that the DOJ’s report exonerated BAPS (StopHinduDvesha, “Tried by the Media, Vindicated by DOJ”). The DOJ closing their investigation without filing charges, is not a court judgment, and does not pertain to the civil case. Our caste in America guide and our legal battle tracker cover the broader legal case. Our guide on caste in supply chains covers related questions concerning forced labor.
What this case shows about the visa category
No matter how the case turns out, it has illustrated how religious worker visas are used and how people using them can file wage and labor complaints. If someone wants to understand the process to file a complaint, our guide to filing a caste discrimination complaint explains the U.S. process. (In the meantime, for the more resourceful and tech-savvy among you, blogging, AI tools and email marketing are key. The Ambedkarite Educational Program (AEP) builds these exact skills).
Takeaway
The BAPS case was filed on May 11, 2021, claiming workers from Dalit communities (including employees at the Robbinsville temple) were volunteers, underpaid, and confined at the temple. BAPS denies the allegations. The U.S. Department of Justice closed its investigation without charges in September 2025, and the civil case is ongoing. As of the last report I could find, no court has ruled on the allegations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BAPS Robbinsville lawsuit?
In 2021, a group of workers from India filed a lawsuit against BAPS in a U.S. court, accusing them of forced labor, trafficking and wage violations while they constructed a Hindu temple in Robbinsville, N.J. BAPS denies the accusations.
What is BAPS’s position on the lawsuit?
BAPS has argued in the court of law and the court of public opinion that the workers were volunteers, and that they are artisans doing religious service, or “seva” and therefore, employees. BAPS also welcomed the DOJ’s decision to close its case.
Did the DOJ prosecute BAPS?
No. The DOJ decided to not prosecute BAPS in September 2025, according to BAPS and the Religion News Service.
Is the case over?
As of the last report, the case was set to proceed in Federal Court. I did not find a ruling or settlement. Please check the court docket.
What is the caste connection?
The complaint says that workers were recruited from Scheduled Caste, or Dalit, and other marginalised communities. BAPS denies the allegations as a whole.
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SOURCES
- NBC News, “Hindu temple in New Jersey accused of ‘shocking violations’ in forced-labor lawsuit,” May 2021
- Community News, “DOJ ends probe of BAPS Robbinsville temple; civil case moves ahead,” September 18, 2025
- Community News, “What is BAPS? Robbinsville temple case explained,” September 18, 2025
- Religion News Service, “DOJ drops forced labor case against largest Hindu temple in America,” September 19, 2025
- USA Today, “Troubled Hindu temple open in New Jersey,” October 16, 2023
- Yahoo News Canada, “How a former BAPS temple worker in the US got his freedom, but still seeks justice”
- StopHinduDvesha, “Tried by the Media, Vindicated by DOJ” (advocacy site)
