How the Press Transformed a Hindu Temple Investigation into a Presumption of Guilt

In spring 2021, federal agents raided a Hindu temple construction site in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Headlines quickly emerged worldwide, accusing “slave labor,” “passport confiscations,” and “sect leaders” of trapping Indian workers inside a temple compound. Public opinion formed a verdict before any charges were filed. Four years later, the Justice Department dropped the investigation quietly, charging no one. Yet, the damage — reputational, cultural, and spiritual — was done.

The case focused on the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a major Hindu organization known for its temples and humanitarian work. Accusations claimed Indian workers on the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple project were exploited, with their passports seized and movements restricted. These allegations warranted examination. However, as documented by Freedom Magazine, the media’s coverage quickly shifted from reporting to moral indictment.

Major outlets labeled BAPS as a “sect” and its leaders as oppressors. Headlines invoked trafficking and slavery terms without restraint. Few reports mentioned the lawsuit against BAPS was civil, not criminal, or that many workers were lifelong devotees seeing their work as religious service. Stories also overlooked the volunteers’ undisputed legal immigration status. Instead of a nuanced investigation, the coverage became a morality tale about a foreign faith.

Over time, key details surfaced. Freedom Magazine revealed twelve original plaintiffs withdrew from the class-action suit, claiming they were misled by lawyers into signing papers they didn’t fully understand. The federal investigation concluded without charges after four years. Media outlets that depicted the temple in terms of modern slavery issued no corrections or apologies, with most offering no follow-up stories.

This pattern is familiar. Whether the faith is Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Scientologist, journalists often resort to different terms — “sect,” “cult,” “insular,” “hierarchical.” These words imply suspicion and otherness, carrying centuries of cultural baggage, erasing the complexity of living religious traditions outside Western norms.

Religious institutions should face scrutiny when warranted. But scrutiny should not equate to scorn. Fairness means recognizing “innocent until proven guilty” applies equally to temples and individuals. It entails avoiding headlines that assume guilt before facts are verified and acknowledging when facts no longer support the narrative.

The BAPS case highlights a deeper issue: journalism that confuses rumor or allegations with certainty, and when moral framing overtakes factual reporting, truth suffers. Raids become convictions; communities become caricatures. For the Hindu-American diaspora, already confronting cultural misunderstandings, the impact is significant—a reminder that even in a pluralistic society, some faiths remain more “suspect.”

The Coalition of Hindus of North America labeled the government’s decision to drop the case “a victory for truth,” but the victory is bittersweet. False impressions persist, etched in digital archives and search results. With the media having moved on, communities are left to repair their reputations.

This episode serves as a lesson not just about one temple in New Jersey, but about the state of public discourse. In an age of instant outrage, journalists must remember that accuracy is not an obstacle to justice; it is its foundation. The right to be judged based on facts, not fear, is universal, whatever the language of the prayers.