How My Ex-Cult Tried to Bomb, Ban, and Bury the Truth — Part 3

Amazon Receives a Letter from My Ex-Cult — Demanding the Removal of Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus

Bad things come in threes, according to the old saying. Starting in the summer of 2013, three bad things happened to me that nearly derailed my ability to share the truth about my ex-fake-gurus’ corruption. In a three-part series, I reveal how my ex-cult tried to obliterate the truth from the planet. Much to will be their dismay, my blog, book trailer, and book are alive and well. In fact, the updated version of my book, Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus, is now ready on Amazon — with five secret-spilling new chapters.

On March 4, 2014, I received an email from Amazon that included two letters. One from members of my ex-cult. One from Amazon to the authors of that letter.

This exchange speaks for itself.

My Ex-Cult’s Letter to Amazon

This is the letter members from my ex-cult, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, sent to Amazon (no grammatical or spelling errors have been corrected):

Hi,

We are still looking for appropriate action to be taken from Amazon regarding our issue. As per your commitment your investigating team has not reached out us for further investigation.

This book has already impacted many followers emotion which your investigating team cannot visualize.

The author’s book is based on her memory as he/she has mentioned in the book. The author has blamed the non profit organization for sexual abuse and other crime charges to tarnish the reputation of the jagadguru Kripalu Parishat(JKP) organization without proof.

The author has used the names of the persons whom we know personally and they denied from exchanging any words with the author for her book. We can provide you the written statement of the person whom the author has addressed in his/her book for your reference.

Many Hindu religion people are associated with this organization and the information like this could lead to the violence. The author has no right to publish such defamatory and false stories. The author is spreading illegal product via your website.

We want you to ban this product from your website asap.

(ISSUE: Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus: How I Was Conned By a Dangerous Cult-and Why I Will Not Keep Their Secrets) book

Regards,
Radha Madhav Society

Note: Curiously, the organization sent the email two years after my book was first published. I don’t recall any “violence” ignited by my book during that time — and I think I would remember something like that.

Amazon’s Reply to Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat

To whom it may concern:

I am responding to your February 26, 2014 email regarding the book “Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus: How I Was Conned By a Dangerous Cult-and Why I Will Not Keep Their Secrets” by Rishika.

As a bookseller, Amazon.com cannot be charged with reviewing, investigating, and determining the truth or falsity of the innumerable statements made in the millions of titles in our on-line catalog. The title you identify, which is just one of many thousands of titles independently published and offered for sale directly by a user of the KDP service, illustrates that reality with particular force. In addition, we believe strongly that providing open access to written speech, no matter how controversial, is one of the most important things we do. It’s a service that the United States Constitution protects, and one that follows a long tradition of booksellers serving as guardians of free expression in our society.

We do not take lightly the serious concerns you have expressed regarding this title. Your remedy, however, lies in pursuing those concerns directly with the author. Please find the author contact information so that you can contact her directly:

Rishika RISHIKA@RISHIKAXCULT.COM

You can be certain that, if the author elects to withdraw this title or a court determines based upon review of a full factual record that the book infringes your rights, we will promptly honor any corresponding direction not to distribute the item.

Please feel free to let me know directly of any such determination.

Regards,
Executive Customer Relations
Kindle Direct Publishing

India-Based Law Firm Sends Me a Letter

Very shortly after this exchange, I received this email from some law firm in India:

Dear Sir/ Mam,

Please Find the attached copy of legal notice, sent on behalf of our Client, Mr Chatarpal Singh regarding the publishing and sale of the book “SEX LIES AND TWO HINDU GURUS”.

M A X I M®
Advocates & Law Consultants
A Registered Law Firm established since 2000
Corp.Off. C-4/70A, Lawrence Road, Keshav Puram, Delhi-35

I ignored my ex-cult’s latest attempt to ban by book, hide their secrets from the world, and bury the truth.

While the three attacks — cyber bombing, video burying, and book banning — was unsettling for me to endure, I have been able to put the whole experience in context by first remembered who exactly I am dealing with. As the saying goes: Consider the source.

While writing my book, I knew that I was taking a risk — telling the long-held dark and twisted secrets of my ex-cult was not going to be easy. For one thing, the cult has a lot of dedicated followers with a wide range of skills, including computer skills.

For another, the cult is filthy rich.

But one thing they don’t have on their side is the truth.

Read the new version of Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus — now with five secret-spilling new chapters!