Guru Maa was recuperating from her ill health and had just returned from the hospital. She went outside and found an angry policeman aggressively asking her to stop performing the havan. He said neighbors had complained about the fire outside the temple and that if the havan wasn’t stopped, he would issue a summons.

As he went on repeating the same words, Guru Maa was upset and asked him to leave the place. She told him that she understood and asked him if he didn’t understand what she was saying. Another policeman who was with Mr. Bottoms took him away saying that as Guru Maa had given her assurance on this, they should leave the place.

The next day Guru Maa sent Paul Klecka, a devotee, to find out from the police department if there was any rule which prevented her from doing havan on her own property. It was then explained that it depended on the nature of the fire. He said that if the police arrived, she should ask them for a summonss and later explain to the court about it.

However, a building inspector, Mr. Peter Occupenti, told Paul Klecka, that if the fire was lit at about 20 to 22 feet away from the building, he didn’t see why others would object, if it was a small fire.

After Guru Maa recovered, on July 13, she began preparing for another havan outside the temple. Mr. Bottoms again arrived at the havan site and told Guru Maa to extinguish the fire. She told him, “Once I have started the fire, I can’t stop it midway. Either you wait till I finish or issue a summons so I can talk to you in the court. My office has already sent a letter in this regard to the police and the fire departments.” But he started shouting rudely at her, said Guru Maa, after that she tried to ignore him and continued with the havan. But he didn’t stop and continued shouting, then Guru Maa said, “Don’t shout. I know the law." “What law do you know? I make the law,’’ he is reported to have said. Guru Maa replied, “Since when did America start being ruled by a policeman?" “From today,” he replied. Guru Maa said that she wasn’t prepared to talk to him and asked him to leave after giving the summons.

Meanwhile, the pandit got up and asked the policeman to leave. But he didn’t leave. He called the building inspector, Mr. Peter Occupenti, who came up to Guru Maa and respectfully requested her to stop the havan. When Guru Maa didn’t speak up, he kept quiet. By the time Sunderkhand was over and Guru Maa stood up for Parikrama. At that moment, the policeman picked up the hose (kept for safety purposes) lying in the garden and directed it on the fire. Now Guru Maa told the building inspector, “Now it is his sin, he will suffer.’’ She also asked him to issue the summons. The policeman tried to talk to her, but Guru Maa preferred to speak only to the building inspector and told him she would meet in court and that she was not interested in continuing the discussions here. On behalf of Guru Maa, Mr. C. L. Gupta, a trustee of the temple, drafted a letter which was sent to the police, fire and building departments. In the evening, a congregation got together at the temple and when Guru Maa explained what had happened, they all expressed concern.

The havan incident aroused interest in the media and Channel 12’s Judy, who was present at the congregation, interviewed Guru Maa. “I consider this a crime and also a bias on the part of the policeman. He has no right to insult our beliefs,” Guru Maa told Channel 12. She vowed that she would not rest until the policeman apologised to the members of the community, whose feelings were hurt.

In response to the summons, Guru Maa went to court with six of her disciples on June 29. The judge asked her if she was guilty to which she said “no.’’ The judge also asked the building inspector why he had brought her to court. When he said, “She was burning a fire’’, the judge said, “she was just doing her rituals, so what’s the problem?” “It was a nuisance and the public complained,” he said.

The case was then set for a hearing on September 13, on which day Guru Maa was accompanied to the court by 20 chosen disciples and community leaders. When they arrived at the court premises at 9 a.m. they were told that the hearing was to start at 1 p.m. Dr. P.M.Bhangdia then went to the department and requested that it be heard at 9 a.m. as assigned earlier. Seeing 20 people accompanying Guru Maa, court officials initially would permit only three people to accompany Guru Maa because of a lack of space in the trial room. However, they accepted their request and allowed all the disciples who said they needed no chairs.

Three trial lawyers met them. Mr. Bottoms, the policeman, was not present on this day also, but the building inspector was present. When the trial began, everyone from Guru Maa’s group were unanimous in seeking the disciplining of the policeman. Guru Maa told the lawyers, ‘‘I have love and respect for the country and its law and order. I am a teacher and my duty is to follow the law. But I can’t allow somebody to put a finger on my faith or rituals. I have nothing against my neighbors or the law.’’

Dr. Bhangdia, Dr. Dinesh Jaiswal, Mr. Paul Klecka, Dr. Pradeep Patel told the lawyers that they would not rest till justice is done. Mr. Moti Patel said that they cannot take an insult to their faith. The lawyer explained them it is not one case they are two seperate cases, one police and one fire. When we both have no problem for the fire case then let us adjourned that one case and now you can make a new case against the police. After that all went in the court room where the fire case was adjourned by the judge.

Mr. Russel Hood, Director of Community Services, now came up to Guru Maa and said, “Now that the fire case is adjourned, they should resolve the case of the policeman too.’’ Later the Mayor called Guru Maa for a meeting with him and the police chief. She was also asked how many people would accompany her this time. Guru Maa told them she would come for the meeting with four people. An appointment was given for 3.30 p.m. on Monday September 20th ’99. She was accompanied by Dr. & Mrs. Bhangdia, Mr. C.L.Gupta, Ms. Kusum Gupta and Mr. Gill.Guru Maa and her team first met the police chief and Mr. Russel Hood. The police chief tried explaining to Guru Maa that the policeman was only doing his duty and that he was innocent. Guru Maa was very upset by this. “So am I lying according to you,’’ she asked. “I have no reason to lie and only the policeman is lying to protect himself.” she told the police chief. She also told him, “Policemen are here to protect the interest of public, why are you trying to protect one individual who committed a blunder? Your duty is to punish the policeman, so that such an insult is not meted out to any other faith.’’

Meanwhile, the Honorable Mayor Mr.James Garner arrived. Guru Maa turned to him and said, I want you to resolve this case, as the Chief is taking the policeman’s side. I am also sick and tired, listening to the same thing being repeated.The considerate Mayor listened to her and spoke to the police chief. He asked the police chief,“Where is your man?” The chief replied it was the policeman’s day off.The extinguishing of the fire by the policeman was an insult to the faith and the community, the Mayor told the police chief.He then took Guru Maa and her followers to his office and spoke to them for nearly 20-30 minutes. According to Guru Maa, the Mayor was very kind and considerate. However, he told Guru Maa that he would meet them again and the date was set for September 22.

This time Guru Maa went with Mr. C. L.Gupta, Mrs. Annapurna Bhangdia and Avinash Malhotra (Architect, Vedic Heritage). After talking to all of them, the Mayor told Guru Maa that the policeman was ready to apologise to her. But Guru Maa held her ground, maintaining her demand for a written apology. She told him, “If I took his apology now, what will I tell my community? It has become a grave issue and several other religious associations are concerned about it. The media too has taken it up earnestly.”Unless he gives a written apology we will not rest, she added. She also told him, “Though I have respect for your office and the law, I have no choice, but to go to court if a written apology is not given”. Guru Maa is deeply touched by the devotion and love of the people who stood by her, including Paul Klecka, Dr. and Mrs. Pragya Mitra Bhangdia, Dr. and Mrs. Dinesh Jaiswal, Dr. and Mrs. Pradeep Patel, Moti Bhai Patel, Tinu Patel, Atul Patel, Jyoti Patel, Vishnu Patel, , Dr. G.S.Gill, Mrs. and Mr. Shilpa Seth, Raj Jain, Raman Sachdeva, Paresh Parikh and Naresh Verma, who accompanied her on the day of the trial.

The media once again reported on this issue, creating a furore among the community. The newpapers Village Voice and Newsday wrote about the incident. Guru Maa received a call from the office of the Attorney General. He politely told Guru Maa that he understood the feelings of the community but the policeman was only doing his duty. However, he told her that the Mayor had the final authority and that he was calling only on behalf of the Mayor. He also requested that Guru Maa should go to the Mayor’s office along with her disciples. He also told her that according to law getting a letter of apology was impossible. Guru Maa said, “I don’t want this matter to affect our friendship with the mayor and his office, but it is not entirely my matter. With the issue being taken up by the media, the community is also determined to get an apology.” The attorney said, “Why are they giving so much importance to a policeman when the Mayor himself is ready to apologise. As an attorney I would request you to meet with the Mayor and resolve the matter in a friendly manner. Because if you go to the court it will be the game of the media and the lawyers.’’ Guru Maa made it clear that she did not want to prolong the issue any further.Later that evening, Guru Maa addressed a congregation. Though we could win the case, we should resolve it in a friendly manner, because friendship is more important than money, she said. So once again I will meet the Mayor and resolve the case in an honorable way, she said, and requested the community to stand by her.She said, “I think the incident has been a good lesson for the policeman. He will not do this anymore to any other faith.”