Source: www.ajc.com
GEORGIA, U.S., April 2010: On Thursday, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled that 100 Shiva statues and other property could be auctioned April 24 to satisfy debts of the Hindu Temple of Georgia, which filed for bankruptcy last year. The temple claimed to have $9.4 million in assets and $15 million in liabilities.
Attorneys for the Norcross temple and purported manufacturer of the statues, Indian Handicrafts Development Corp., sought to block the sale of the statues on the basis they were sacred deities and held great significance to followers of the Hindu faith. “It is considered the counterpart of a sin to sell these,” attorney Jesse Hill argued. “That is the view I believe to be held by most Hindus and certainly by my client.”
Judge James E. Massey said there was no credible proof to bolster the manufacturer’s claim that the statues were on loan to the temple and not owned by it. The judge stipulated that the items be auctioned off individually rather than in bulk so the temple had the opportunity to reclaim the statues. The auction will be held April 24 at 10 a.m. at 5900 Brook Hollow Parkway in Norcross, the temple’s former property.