A Hindu priest who was kicked out of his temple at the age of 68 for being ‘too old’ has won an age discrimination case.
Deoraj Dwivedi had worked for 11 years at the Hindu Cultural Resource Centre Temple in Sandwell, West Mids, without a blemish before he was sacked, a tribunal heard.
The hierarchy within the temple found him guilty of gross misconduct for not following correct rules around donations, even though the younger high priest flouted them too and did not face any punishment.
Despite having no desire to retire, Mr Dwivedi was told that his contract would not be renewed as he had turned 68 and he was replaced by a younger colleague.
Mr Dwivedi, now 70, took the case to an employment tribunal where it was judged that he had been discriminated against because of his age and he is now in line for compensation.
Mr Dwivedi began working as a priest at the temple in June 2013, where he spent long hours, seven days a week, teaching classes and sharing his faith.
He had had no issues at the Temple until October 2023 when it was discovered that he had been taking donations from worshippers directly.
At a meeting with the temple bosses, he was told that he must pass any funds collected from the congregation to the Temple’s committee, but he continued to take and retain them.
He was then informed that priests should stop taking donations directly and instead they should be put in a collection box.
However, the head priest at the Temple – who is younger – continued to take donations directly, a practice known as Dakshina.
The Temple decided to end Mr Dwivedi’s contract in January 2024.
A letter was sent to Mr Dwivedi which said that he ‘had to retire from his services from the temple as he has completed sixty eight years of age’.
In April 2024 the Temple decided that his actions amounted to gross misconduct.
Mr Dwivedi claimed that he was told by the Hindu Cultural Resource Centre that he had to retire from the Temple because he had reached the age of 68.
He said at no point did he wish to retire.
Following his dismissal a younger priest was hired – who continued to take Dakshina.
Mr Dwivedi brought claims of unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal and age discrimination to the tribunal in Birmingham.
The tribunal judged that since there was no clear instruction on how donation money should be collected, but rather a suggestion, then gross misconduct could not have taken place.
Employment Judge Claire Taylor concluded: ‘The head prriest is the same as (Mr Dwivedi) in every material way except age.
She added: ‘(Mr Dwivedi) was dismissed and the head priest was not. A younger Priest was then appointed and both he and the head priest, I have found, continue to receive Dakshina.
‘This is conduct from which I could infer discrimination.’
All his claims were successful and he is now in line for compensation.
He has since been invited back to the temple to work voluntarily as his English is better than that many of the other priests.
Speaking after the Tribunal, Mr Dwivedi said: ‘It was a painful time for me while the whole matter was going through the court.
‘It was certainly not an easy process when it was happening. I never really got a proper response from the Temple and I just felt like they delayed the whole thing until the end.
‘My faith has not been affected at all by this. The response of the congregation was amazing.
‘I have been going to this temple all my life and I want to go back to carry on serving.’
His daughter Chetna, 32, said: ‘He is a reputable person and has been all his life. He is a mediator of God.
‘It was a very painful time not just for my dad but for the whole family. We just felt like they were trying to make it up as they went along. I still feel that they did not feel bad about anything that happened.
‘I just feel like it is not completed yet. Although we have won we cannot get closure yet. He feels like he has lost his purpose.
‘The people in the temple are like gangsters. There are several members of the same family in the temple and they dominate the whole community.
‘It wasn’t about the money. The people at the Temple have no processes in place. It has been going on for generations and is still happening openly.
‘The information wasn’t shared with the congregation and he now just wants to go back to his temple.’