Lawyers seek FIR against Ram Temple Trust functionaries, hold protests

On Thursday, lawyers from the Faizabad Bar Association held a protest march and filed a police complaint. They asked for an FIR against Ram Mandir Trust general secretary Champat Rai, trust member Anil Mishra, and temple official Gopal Rao, accusing them of misusing donation funds.

According to Faizabad Bar Association president Kalika Prasad Mishra, Krishna Mohan, the trustee who filed the first FIR, has now also been named as an accused in the lawyers’ new complaint.

The lawyers walked from the court to the Ram Janambhoomi police station to submit their complaint. They demanded that a case be registered and called for a fair and impartial investigation into the allegations. A large number of lawyers raised slogans demanding an FIR and an investigation into the Trust’s senior functionaries.

Earlier, the bar association said it would not defend the accused in this case. They also warned that any lawyer who chose to represent them would have to pay a penalty of Rs 5 lakh for each accused person.

During the march, police struggled to control the crowd. Some lawyers said they suffered minor injuries in the pushing and shoving.

At the police station, several lawyers gathered in the Station House Officer’s office with media personnel, insisting that a case be registered immediately, while police officials tried to pacify them by assuring that the complaint would be examined and appropriate action taken in accordance with the law. Mishra told reporters that the association had requested an FIR against the three people named in the complaint for allegedly misusing donations to the Ram Temple. He also called for an impartial investigation.  Rao is involved in building the temple and works with the trust. "A written complaint has been submitted. Five people have gone to collect the hard copy. If they do not provide it, the protest will continue. The police have said that action will be taken and have given full assurance. The FIR includes Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, Gopal Rao, and Krishna Dev (the complainant in the first FIR)."

He said the association would start a protest, but the police did not file a case against the accused. Superintendent of Police (City) Chakrapani Tripathi said the police have received the complaint and are looking into it. Later, police said the case was entered in the General Diary (GD) at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station, and an acknowledgement was given. A police officer said the complaint is being reviewed in accordance with the law and that appropriate action will be taken. If it is found to be warranted but is not registered, action would also be taken against the officials concerned at the police station. A GD is the police station’s official record for proceedings. Activist Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up in Uttar Pradesh gave its initial report on June 23.

After that, people involved in counting temple donations said he was taking "moral responsibility." Security has been increased at important places, including Rai. A security official said deployment had been strengthened at the Teerth Kshetra office, Karsevakpuram, and other important places linked to the Trust. Four sub-inspectors have been posted in Karsevakpuram and other important places linked to the Trust.