More than eight years ago, Rajeev Y. arrived in the United States from Rajasthan, India, lured by the prospect of skilled stone-carving work. What he envisioned as a path to a better life quickly deteriorated into what he describes as a nightmare of confinement and exploitation.
Rajeev is now one of several Indian laborers, predominantly Dalits from India’s lowest social strata, who filed a class-action lawsuit against the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). The Hindu sect recently drew international attention when staff at the Eiffel Tower in Paris staged a strike to protest the removal of female employees during a private visit by BAPS leaders.
While US media began highlighting allegations of forced labor, abuse, and immigration violations against BAPS around 2021, the organization has consistently denied all charges. Despite gaining his freedom, 35-year-old Rajeev continues to fight for justice. Separated from his three children in India, he remains a virtual figure in their lives, communicating primarily through video calls.
Rajeev’s ordeal began at a massive BAPS temple construction site in Robbinsville, New Jersey. He recounted that authorities confiscated his passport and warned him that attempting to leave the compound without it would result in arrest. He described the site as a “central prison,” where workers were confined and restricted solely to stonework with no social interaction or freedom of movement.
Rajasthan is renowned for its artisans, particularly those skilled in creating intricate lattice work known as jali. These experts are highly sought after by BAPS, a religious institution that has constructed more than 1,300 temples globally, including a recently inaugurated center in a Paris suburb. However, the trade carries severe health risks, including silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by silica dust exposure.
The situation at the New Jersey site drew federal attention following the death of a worker named Mohan Lal in October 2020. Rajeev, a member of the Indian Stone Workers Alliance of America, recalled that Lal was never admitted to a hospital and was instead kept in a trailer on-site. As Lal’s condition worsened, anxiety spread among the workers, who feared similar fates.
BAPS’s attempts to minimize the incident exacerbated tensions, leading to an FBI raid in May 2021. The operation rescued over 100 workers. Shortly thereafter, six individuals filed a lawsuit accusing BAPS of recruiting them under false pretenses, confiscating their documents, and paying them approximately $1 an hour.
The complaint highlighted that BAPS recruited heavily from Scheduled Castes, or Dalits, and marginalized communities, reminding them of their hierarchical status. While the lawsuit claimed wages were paid mostly in Indian rupees with only $50 in cash provided monthly, BAPS CEO Kanu Patel disputed these figures, telling The New York Times that the work required specialized artisans to fit hand-carved stones together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Later that year, the lawsuit was amended to include plaintiffs from other BAPS temples near Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles. The workers alleged they were processed through R-1 religious visas despite not being genuine volunteers. Rajeev rejected the notion of volunteering, stating he follows Bodh dharm, a Buddhist tradition, and that Dalits do not worship the Swaminarayan deity central to BAPS. He noted that workers were segregated from temple worship areas.
Qayam Masumi of the Dalit Solidarity Forum (DSF) criticized the visa arrangement as a scheme to circumvent labor laws and minimum wage requirements. After the FBI raid, workers were housed in hotels for a month, a significant improvement over their previous conditions, according to Rajeev.
In September 2025, months after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) closed the criminal investigation without filing charges. BAPS North America welcomed the decision, describing the temple as a place of peace and devotion.
However, activists expressed skepticism. Masumi revealed that the DSF learned of the closure from a BAPS lawyer rather than official DOJ channels, noting the absence of a public explanation for the decision. Sunita Viswanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, compared the dismissal to the dropping of corruption charges against former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, suggesting political influence.
Viswanath emphasized that the closure does not exonerate BAPS, pointing out that the organization has not issued an apology for its treatment of workers. The DSF, in a joint statement with five other NGOs, continues to advocate for accountability.
How can a $1 hourly wage persist without immediate intervention? Something is clearly broken in the system.
I had no idea R-1 visas were used this way to bypass labor laws. Thanks for sharing these details.
Eight years of waiting for justice, and the case is still closed? This feels deeply unjust to the victims.