Tried by the Media, Vindicated by DOJ: The BAPS Forced-Labor Case and a Failure of Fairness

The 2021 raid and lawsuit triggered headlines alleging “slavery” and “trafficking” at BAPS; the narrative quickly treated accusations as facts, framing a Hindu temple as a crime scene.

Core Hindu practices like seva (selfless service) were misread as servitude; advocacy groups and activists amplified a caste-oppression storyline calibrated for media impact rather than evidence.

Attorney-driven lawfare packaged unverified claims; networks echoed them, while municipal code issues were folded into a moral indictment, reinforcing suspicion without proving trafficking.

The case later unraveled—numerous plaintiffs withdrew and, in 2025, the DOJ found no evidence of trafficking—yet coverage of exoneration was muted and public perceptions lagged.

Consequences persisted: reputational harm to BAPS, stigma for Hindu Americans, and no accountability for the lawyer, syndicates, or media that amplified falsehoods—underscoring how easily minority communities can be tried by narrative rather than fact.