Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Scam Deepens as Lawyers Boycott Accused, SIT Questions Former Trust Secretary

During a general meeting held on Monday, the Faizabad Bar Association, Ayodhya Bar Association, and Advocates Association unanimously passed a resolution declaring that no local lawyer would represent any of the accused in the alleged donation embezzlement case. Association Secretary Shailendra Jaiswal stated that the alleged theft of temple offerings and donations had deeply hurt the faith of millions of devotees, making it unacceptable for any lawyer in Ayodhya to defend the accused.

The associations further warned that any member violating the resolution by appearing on behalf of the accused would face a fine of Rs 500,000 and cancellation of membership. According to ANI, the Bar Association had adopted a similar stand in 2005 by refusing to represent those accused in the terrorist attack on the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. The lawyers also issued a three-day ultimatum to former Trust office-bearers Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao, asking them to leave Ayodhya.

Champat Rai, the former General Secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, and senior Trust member Anil Mishra resigned from their respective positions on Saturday after allegations of donation embezzlement surfaced. Following their resignations, a Uttar Pradesh Police team visited Champat Rai's residence and recorded his statement as part of the ongoing investigation.

Police have so far arrested eight individuals in connection with the case, including Champat Rai's former driver. Investigators have recovered approximately Rs 8 million in cash along with foreign currency from the possession of the accused.

Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri stated that all Trust members were shocked by the developments and assured that a fair and impartial investigation would be ensured to restore the confidence of devotees. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also assured that the state government would conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation and ensure the strictest possible action against those found guilty.

The alleged donation scam came to light after former Samajwadi Party legislator Pawan Pandey filed a complaint alleging that between Rs 70 million and Rs 75 million from temple donations had been misappropriated. Acting on the Trust's request, the Uttar Pradesh Government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team on June 14 to investigate the allegations.

Subsequently, on June 25, the first First Information Report was registered in Ayodhya under the directions of the state government. The case was registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 316(5) relating to criminal breach of trust, Sections 317(4) and 317(5) concerning fraud and embezzlement, and Sections 61 and 3(5) dealing with criminal conspiracy and common intention.

The First Information Report names Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav, and several others as accused. The special court is scheduled to hear the matter regarding the extension of judicial custody of the accused. Considering security concerns, the police and administration are also evaluating the possibility of conducting the hearing through video conferencing directly from the prison.

The alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case has emerged as one of the most sensitive legal and administrative controversies surrounding one of India's most revered religious institutions. With multiple arrests, high-profile resignations, an expanding investigation, and an unprecedented boycott by the local legal fraternity, the proceedings are expected to have far-reaching legal, institutional, and public implications as the investigation continues.