Hindu group sues Chicago suburb to build temple, citing 1967 legal barrier

(RNS) — A Hindu group that wants to build a temple and residential project is suing a Chicago suburb to overturn a nearly 60-year-old legal agreement that blocks their plans.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday (July 14) by Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chicago Midwest, a Hindu religious community, said that a 1967 consent decree meant to create a buffer between a railroad line and residential homes governs a 34-acre property in Elgin, Illinois, which the Hindu community owns.

Earlier this year, Elgin officials approved plans for a temple and houses to be built on the site, but that approval cannot be made final while the consent decree remains in place. The Hindu group, which serves the Kadva Patidar community, argues in the lawsuit that the consent decree could be used to religiously discriminate against them.

The plaintiffs have also asked for a preliminary injunction to bar the city from withholding final approval and permits and to bar neighbors from trying to enforce the 1967 consent decree.

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The decree, which does not mention race or religion, allows offices or other limited…