Anybody having committed an antisocial act will have to undergo a severe fast or punishment of any other type prescibed by an ácárya/á for the atonement of the sin. Only the person at fault – not any other member of his/her family – will be penalized. As soon as one’s defect is rectified, the punishment should be withdrawn. If the person undergoing atonement inspires ten people onto the path of spirituality, the defect will be considered expiated.

If there is any allegation against the conduct of any Ananda Margi, it must be brought to the notice of the ácárya/á; and in the ácárya/á’s absence, to the notice of the other ácárya/á who has taken the responsibility of further guiding the accused Margi regarding spiritual practices. If the second ácárya/á is not easily available, the matter should be brought to the notice of the upabhukti pramukha or the general bhukti pradhána⁽¹⁾ concerned. Then, within a week, these persons will form a tribunal consisting only of ácárya/ás to investigate the matter. If the allegation is proved true, the tribunal will decide the proper punishment for the accused. If the accused so desires, he/she can, with the permission of the members of the tribunal, appeal against the judgement of the tribunal to the general bhukti pradhána. The bhukti pradhána will then form another tribunal consisting of ácárya/ás. If even then the accused is not satisfied with the judgement of the tribunal constituted by the bhukti pradhána, he/she may, with the permission of the members of the second tribunal, appeal to the general secretary of the Saḿgha. In that case, the decision taken by the general secretary or by the tribunal appointed by the general secretary will be taken to be final.

In case the accused is a family ácárya/á, the allegations must be brought to the notice of the secretary, Central Ácárya Board. The secretary will then constitute a tribunal, and, if the allegations are proved true, the tribunal will decide the punishment.

In case the accused is a non-ácárya/á wholetimer of any wing of Ananda Marga, the allegations will have to be brought to the notice of the concerned head of that wing of Ananda Marga. The latter will then appoint a tribunal, and, if the allegation is proved true, the tribunal will decide the punishment.

In case the accused wholetimer is an ácárya/á, the allegations will have to be directly brought to the notice of the secretary of the Central Ácárya Board, or to the head of that wing of Ananda Marga. Then the secretary of the Board or the wing-head concerned will form a tribunal for investigation, and, if the allegation is proved true, the tribunal will decide the punishment.

In case the allegation is against any wing-head, it will have to be brought to the notice of the general secretary of the Saḿgha. [[The general secretary will take a decision in this matter by himself or through his appointed tribunal, as he wishes.]]

N.B.:

1. It is not desirable that the tribunal should consist of more than three persons.
2. Allegations will always have to be submitted in writing.
3. In case the allegations are proved false, the complainant will have to accept the same punishment which the accused would have received had the allegations brought against him/her proved true.

Footnotes

(1) See chapters concerning these officeholders. –Trans.