Washington, June 14 :    Washington, June 14:  The Hare Krishna schools in Mayapur and Brindavan may face the worst indictment within the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) empire if the $400-million lawsuit against the organisation is taken to its conclusion in favour of the 44 plaintiffs who are alleging child abuse in these schools.This is because the plaintiffs, residents of the US, Canada and the UK, have alleged in the federal court in Dallas that though child abuse occurred in virtually all Iskcon schools, the worst incidents took place at the institutions in Mayapur and Brindavan.Half of the plaintiffs were students of these two schools and they have alleged in the suit that 'in a conscious effort to avoid policing and scrutiny by US child protection agencies, Iskcon took a large portion of its boarding school activities overseas to India. The Indian schools were among the worst offenders and abusers of minor boys and many of the Indian school teachers and leaders were also teachers, leaders and abusers in the US schools.'The schools in Mayapur and Brindavan may face the worst music also because at least some of the Iskcon schools in the US, cited in the suit, appear to have more credible arguments in their defence than the two institutions in India.Vinod Patel, president of the Iskcon temple in Dallas - where the court battle is expected to begin in about two months - has already said the suit is aimed at a Hare Krishna organisation which no longer exists. He said it had long been replaced by a new one with a membership of 300 families.'The organisation that existed in the early 1970s is no longer here,' Patel argued. 'This organisation took over in the 1980s. It has different bye-laws, different management... a completely different situation.'Also in defence of the Iskcon schools in the US will be the organisation's claim that it had made 'considerable efforts in recent years to prevent abuse and, when necessary, to provide counselling and financial assistance for past victims.'Anuttama Dasa, director of Iskcon communications here, said two years ago the organisation set up the Iskcon Office Of Child Protection. He said professional staff at this office now work at Hare Krishna temples on child protection programmes, provide financial support and counselling for abuse victims and investigate and adjudicate allegations of past abuse.These child protection programmes cover all countries where Iskcon has temples or schools. But, in a US court, where the legal system in India is seen as lacking speed or teeth, defending the Indian schools against allegations of abuse will be an uphill task.It will be also argued in court that boarding schools set up by Iskcon in the US in the 1970s, when the abuses were allegedly widespread, have all been either closed or converted into day schools, leaving less scope for perversions.Iskcon's strategy appears to be to soften the blow from the court. It is not denying the charges, but only arguing that these are exaggerated. Dasa said in a statement: 'If the events alleged in this suit did occur, we regret that they did and we will make every effort to help address the needs of the young people named in the suit.'Iskcon will claim in court that every Hare Krishna temple is independently incorporated and that the $400-million claim is, therefore, well beyond the assets of any of the Iskcon institutions.The lawyer for the plaintiffs, Windle Turley's firm won millions of dollars in damages three years ago against the Roman Catholic diocese of Dallas in a case which concluded that the church had not only ignored evidence against a priest who abused boys, but also tried to cover up.