Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy: Trust member backs government action, says death penalty justified | Today’s news
Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, on Sunday supported the administration’s action in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, terming it “appropriate”.
Das made these remarks while talking to ANI and said, “The action taken by the administration is adequate. Whatever the verdict is, it will be right. The chief minister has ensured that the culprits are caught, otherwise they might never have been found.” He also called for severe punishment for those found guilty, adding that continued action by officials will help prevent such incidents in the future.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member in embezzlement case
Das remarked, “If the administration continues to act, such thefts will stop. It is right to imprison anyone found guilty in this matter; even the death penalty is justified. The theft of Ram Mandir is a heinous crime. Once they are jailed and face the gallows, everything will be set right.”
Noting that the case has not affected the temple’s day-to-day operations, he added: “Worships are going on smoothly. Rituals are being held on time. Now there is complete transparency about donations. No one is taking any money. Anyone found guilty will be removed and every effort will be made to punish them.”
Ram Mandir donation embezzlement row: Here’s what we know
The trustee’s remarks came amid the ongoing investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The police registered a first information report (FIR) on June 25 after a preliminary SIT report was submitted on June 23, after which at least eight people were arrested and taken into custody in connection with the case. The persons named in the FIR include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others. The case was registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), as directed by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The FIR in the alleged embezzlement case came days after Pawan Pandey, a former Samajwadi Party MLA from Ayodhya, leveled allegations that the donations were worth between ₹7 million and ₹7.5 crore was embezzled from Ram Mandir. Following his claims, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on 14 June to investigate the alleged scam. She also acted on the request of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A day after the FIR was registered, the trust’s general secretary, Champat Rai, resigned along with Anil Mishra, a member of the supervisory board, citing moral responsibility. In a letter to Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Rai announced his resignation to ensure a free and fair investigation and to protect the sanctity of Lord Ram’s work from controversy.
Earlier this week, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, led by the state government, granted a 15-day extension to the SIT to complete its investigation. According to ANI, the extension was granted so that the SIT could widen the scope of its investigation and conduct a comprehensive investigation.
According to a Times of India report, investigators are also probing alleged financial irregularities involving the accused whose declared income is not in line with their assets, including purchases of real estate and luxury vehicles.
Citing bank records, officials estimated it roughly ₹6- ₹Before the case came to light, 8 thousand crores were siphoned off daily from the Ram Mandir.
