Synopsis

Lawyers in Faizabad have protested, demanding an FIR against senior Ram Temple Trust officials, including Champat Rai, over alleged donation embezzlement. The Bar Association submitted a complaint seeking an impartial probe into financial irregularities. This follows an ongoing investigation and previous arrests related to donation counting. Protesters warned of intensified agitation if no case is registered.

The controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple intensified on Thursday, with lawyers from the Faizabad Bar Association taking out a protest march and demanding the registration of an FIR against senior functionaries of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The lawyers marched from the Faizabad court premises to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station, where they submitted a written complaint seeking an FIR against the Trust's general secretary Champat Rai, trustee Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao, who is associated with the temple construction and Trust's activities.

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The complaint also names Krishna Mohan, a trustee who had earlier lodged the first FIR in the case that led to the arrest of eight people linked to the temple's donation-counting process, according to Faizabad Bar Association president Kalika Prasad Mishra.

Demanding an impartial investigation, the protesting lawyers raised slogans against the Trust officials and urged police to register a case without delay. The demonstration briefly turned chaotic as police struggled to manage the crowd, with some lawyers alleging they suffered minor injuries during the jostling.

At the police station, a group of lawyers entered the office of the Station House Officer along with media personnel, insisting that an FIR be registered immediately. Police officials, however, urged them to remain calm, assuring them that the complaint would be examined and appropriate action would be taken in accordance with the law.

Speaking to reporters, Mishra said the Bar Association had sought criminal proceedings against the three Trust functionaries over the alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donation funds and had demanded a fair and independent probe.

"A written complaint has been submitted. Five people have gone to collect the hard copy of the complaint. If they do not provide the copy, the protest will continue. The police have said that action will be taken and have given full assurance regarding the matter. The FIR includes Champat Rai ji, Anil Mishra ji, Gopal Rao, and Krishna Dev (who was the complainant in the first FIR). For now, we will see what action is taken at Kotwali Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station," Mishra told PTI Videos.

Also Read: Ram temple donation row: 'What transpired is confidential', says police after questioning Champat Rai

He warned that the association would intensify its agitation if police failed to register a case against the accused.

Police had not issued an official response to the complaint till the filing of this report.

The latest protest comes amid an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving donations received by the Ram Temple.

The controversy erupted on June 7 after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that donation funds meant for the temple had been embezzled.

Following the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which submitted its preliminary findings on June 23. Based on the report, police registered an FIR on June 25 and arrested eight people associated with the temple's donation-counting process.

Investigators have also recorded the statement of Champat Rai, who recently offered to resign from his position, taking what he described as "moral responsibility" for the controversy.