Judge clears way for Hindu Temple foreclosure

By Andria Simmons

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Creditors changed the locks and sent more than a dozen priests packing Monday after a federal bankruptcy judge cleared the way for a foreclosure sale of the Hindu Temple of Georgia.

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Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com, AJC Annamalai Annamalai, also known as Commander Selvam, is the controversial leader of the Hindu Temple of Georgia.

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Judge James E. Massey also asked a U.S. trustee in charge of the case to have the FBI investigate potential criminal wrongdoing by temple leaders.

Anderson Lake Properties has been authorized to advertise the property at 5900 Brook Hollow Parkway in Norcross for a December auction. However, the judge still has to grant final approval before a sale can take place, said Paul Durdaller, the attorney representing Anderson Lake Properties.

The decision to lift a temporary stay on the foreclosure came after Massey found the temple in contempt of court for failing to hand over requested financial documents. Creditors were allowed to proceed immediately to the property after the hearing to secure any assets.

The temple's leader and self-proclaimed guru, Annamalai Annamalai, sped out of the temple parking lot in a white van Monday afternoon without commenting to reporters. Priests who lingered outside the building with their suitcases, waiting for rides, also declined to speak about the case.

The judge's ruling was the latest of several blows threatening to topple the empire of Annamalai, who goes by the name Dr. Commander Selvam. The temple had sought bankruptcy protection in September to stave off foreclosure after it defaulted on a $2.3 million loan for its $5 million facility in Norcross.

Annamalai also was arrested last year on charges related to theft and practicing medicine without a license. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter later dropped the charges, saying there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute Annamalai.

Since then, lawyers for Annamalai and the temple have filed more than 30 lawsuits in various county courts, as well as federal court and in India. Most of the lawsuits target former devotees, alleging either defamation or failure to pay fees for religious rituals.