A legal dispute between two rival Hindu monks over control of a British religious charity has been resolved by a London High Court judge after five years of contention. The case concerned the succession to His Divine Holiness Hariprasad Swamiji, founder of the Yogi Divine Society, following his death in July 2021 at the age of 87.

Hariprasad Swamiji established the Hindu sect, which now operates around 500 centres globally. Its UK headquarters is located in a former church building in Harrow, northwest London. The deceased leader did not publicly name a successor before his death, leading to a protracted conflict between two monks vying to assume leadership: Prem Swami, 80, and Prabodh Swami, 73. The dispute divided followers both internationally and within the UK branches of the society.

The court heard that Hariprasad Swamiji resigned from his position as president of the Yogi Divine Society in India in 2018 while suffering from health issues including Alzheimer’s disease. Prem Swami had indicated his willingness to succeed him. However, the resignation was kept secret due to concerns it would distress the society’s followers.

Central to the legal challenge was the society’s 2013 constitution, which granted authority to “Member A,” identified as the president of the Indian society. After Hariprasad Swamiji’s death, trustees supporting Prabodh Swami convened a meeting that aimed to remove the controlling power of “Member A” over the UK charity.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Gleeson observed that those backing Prabodh Swami “connived in a scheme to mislead” supporters of Prem Swami, although he described them as “honest men, motivated by a high purpose.” The ruling affirmed that, while Prabodh’s supporters currently control the UK society’s operations, Prem Swami retains the right to veto decisions made by the charity’s trustees.

The judgment effectively delineates the governance structure of the Yogi Divine Society’s UK branch, balancing authority between the competing factions. It marks a significant step toward resolving a dispute that had fractured one of the world’s largest Hindu sects and posed challenges for its international cohesion.