Kirtanananda with one of his male friends.

September 1993: The Winnebago Incident.

Bhaktipada is observed in back of Winnebago van having amorous relations with male Malaysian disciple. Disciple driver tells devotees at NV what he saw in back of Winnebago. NV leaders tell him to stop until leaders can confront and confirm facts with Bhaktipada. Bhaktipada "confesses" privately and vaguely for the first time, to Radhanath and Devamrita. Radhanath leaves the Winnebago van, and Devamrita stays a few moments longer. Bhaktipada denies his "confession" for the first time, to Devamrita. Devamrita claimed he didn't know what was going on, exactly what Bhaktipada was talking about. Radhanath knew, because he had been aware of Bhaktipada's attraction for young men since Kuladri told Radhanath about one 17-year-old's molestation in 1986.
(source: http://www.henrydoktorski.com/nv/pushedout.html)

Sex in Kirtanananda's Winnebago Motor-Home

The story goes like this: Kirtanananda was travelling around to different interfaith conferences, where his people had arranged for him to attend various meetings with Christian congregations. In doing so, he traveled in his Winnebago van. Just prior to his Vyasa-puja ceremony, he had attended a conference in Chicago. While returning from the conference they were traveling at night, when the driver of the Winnebago saw something that shocked him. On account of the curtains parting, truck lights passing by, and so on, he happened to get a clear view of Kirtanananda having homosex with one of his Malaysian disciples. Upon returning to New Vrindaban, the driver began telling the devotees what he had seen.

The local leaders, of course, immediately corralled the driver and cautioned him not to go around spreading these "rumours" until they had approached Kirtanananda themselves and discussed it with him. At the time, Kirtanananda was staying in an isolated cabin somewhere around New Vrindaban. When Radhanatha, who I believe was accompanied by Devamrta, approached Kirtanananda about this, to their surprise he admitted it. Kirtanananda begged for their forgiveness and gave them the explanation that it was like Arjuna after Krsna left. He had lost his potency and he needed to reform - not that he had been doing this year after year and had finally be caught, but that it was a one-off incident.

The leaders went away shocked and had another meeting, which I'm told was attended by as many as 40 people. They were informed as to what Kirtanananda had confessed, and this sent shock waves around the room. Kirtanananda told them that they should try to keep it quiet until after his Vyasa-puja ceremony, because all these disciples had come from around the world, and particularly from Malaysia. However, the simple, innocent Malaysian disciples broke rank when they heard about it, and went directly to Kirtanananda. When confronted by them, Kirtanananda told them that it was all untrue, and that Radhanatha and Devamrita had made the whole story up. Naturally they got totally angry, rebellious and confrontive towards those who had informed them of this situation, primarily Radhanatha. On account of this, Radhanatha virtually had to leave New Vrindaban, with his proverbial tail between his legs. His life was now in danger for having supposedly spread viscous, untrue rumours about Kirtanananda. So the sanitized versions of the story about Radhanatha's departure from New Vrindaban are totally fictitious, regardless of what he has to say now, or has said in recent years. I'm sure many of our readers can fill-in the blanks with more detail on this whole episode, which will provide to our readers as they become available.

Kirtanananda's sex escapades

Kirtanananda with his favoured boy

Rocana: "To say, for instance, that they [NV residents] didn't know about Kirtanananda's homosexual activities, when everyone else in the movement knew about them, is just total denial. Kirtanananda had been sleeping with Hayagriva's young son, in the same sleeping bag, for years. To say you didn't know about that is just total illusion or lying. This had been going since the 1970's, when Srila Prabhupada was here, let alone going on during the whole ten-year stretch of the Zonal Acarya period."

In 1986 two 17-year-olds boys were molested, as they reported at the 1991 trial. One boy eventually confided to Kuladri in these activities probably late in 1986 or early 1987, and shortly after both left the community. Around 1983 inappropriate behavior by Kirtanananda was said to have been reported by one of the teenage girls.

In 1979 one gurukula boy reported to his mother that Kirtanananda had "fondled my genitals," but the mother did not believe her child, and chastised her son for making up stories. This is not uncommon behavior when a child reports sexual molestation by an uncle, grandfather, or other family member; the parents often disbelieve the child. This behavior is confirmed by many studies of child molestation.

Hrishikesh das: Devavarsha told me that during this 1982 trip once he was sitting alone with Bhaktipada in his room at Mayapura, just hanging around. Bhaktipada was reading a Back to Godhead magazine. Devavarsha told me after a while Bhaktipada got tired of reading, and then suddenly and unexpectedly became playful. Bhaktipada rolled the BTG into a tube and thrust it under his dhoti by his crotch, making it look like he had a huge erection. Bhaktipada smiled and waited to see Devavarsha’s response. Poor Devavarsha was completely bewildered. totally shocked and confused. He had no idea how to react. It was so unexpected. What was going on? Why was Bhaktipada acting that way? Was he dreaming? Devavarsha was such a mental guy anyway. So he just sat there dumfounded for a minute, and then silently left the room.

So what did Devavarsha do in his confused and bewildered condition? He did what any sober and responsible devotee would do: he consulted a respected and senior Vaishnava for advice. Devavarsha went to Radhanath to reveal his mind in confidence. He told his story, and the poor fellow was again shocked and bewildered (twice in one day) this time by Radhanath’s reaction: Radhanath became terribly angry, like Nrisimhadeva, and (according to Devavarsha) Radhanath roared at him fiercely: “How can you say such blasphemy! You are completely mental and insane! You don’t deserve to be in this holy place. I cannot stand to look at you! You are so fallen and base! Don’t you ever speak like that again or I’ll have you thrown out on the street with the beggars and urchins!”

To this day, 25 years later, Devavarsha says he still has resentful feelings toward Radhanath.

I tell this story not to discredit Radhanath, but only to show how blind devotion blinds even a great soul to the facts of reality. I have great fondness and respect for Radhanath Swami. He has helped many thousands of people. But even he was not perfect. Even he was in illusion; covered by maya. In this way, due to our blindness, Kirtanananda’s aberrations continued unabated for many more years.

Please also see:

New Vrindavan: Pedophile heaven for Kirtanananda

History about Kirtanananda Swami aka Bhaktipad