“Everyone in Ayodhya is hurt by this theft in the temple of Lord Ram. Our only wish is that all those behind it must be identified and punished,” said Reema Devi, who sells prayer items along the Ram Path.
On Monday that road wore a deserted look under a cloudy sky. Small groups of devotees walked toward the shrine while police kept a strict watch, with extra personnel on every route to the temple complex. Private vehicles, including those of journalists, were kept back from the complex. The reason was a meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which runs the temple and now faces allegations that donations were embezzled.
Two resignations on the table
The trust gathered at 3.15 pm in the guest house inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. Seven of its nine permanent members were present, among them chairman Nritya Gopal Das. General secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra, whose resignations were the main business, stayed away. Sources said the trust was likely to accept them, but there was no official word. The venue had been moved from Mani Ram Das Chhawani to the complex itself, citing security.
The agenda also covered a review of the preliminary report of the special investigation team, and appointments to key posts if the resignations go through. Prashant Lokhande, a Union government secretary, and Sanjay Prasad, Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home), were expected to join virtually.
Das issued a statement beforehand saying he was “deeply pained” by the alleged theft and wanted the strictest punishment for those responsible. He voiced confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said everyone linked to the offence would be brought to justice, and asked that no one seek political mileage from a matter touching the faith of millions of Hindus.
The investigation so far
The investigators were constituted on June 13. Their preliminary report went to the state government on June 23 and became the basis for an FIR and the arrest of eight named people. Police have also recovered deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused hiding currency notes as they carried them out of the premises.
No FIR has been registered against Rai, Mishra or special invitee Gopal Rao. Lawyers of the Faizabad Bar Association in Ayodhya have submitted a written police complaint asking for a case against them.
Elsewhere in town, a separate closed-door meeting took place at the home of trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri, attended by senior Vishva Hindu Parishad leaders including general secretary Bajrang Bagra. Rai and Mishra belong to the VHP, which said it would respect whatever the trust decides and that the probe should reach its conclusion. Giri declined to comment on the allegations. “I will not say anything now,” he told reporters, promising to speak after the meeting. A day earlier he had said he had no part in the daily collection or counting of offerings, that local trustees supervised it, and that the trust’s audit records were intact.
