Ayodhya land scam: AAP's Sanjay Singh claims to have evidence for SIT

AAP MP Sanjay Singh claimed he has evidence of an alleged 'land scam' linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple and will present the documents to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is probing the donation embezzlement case.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday said that he has evidence related to an alleged "land scam" linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple and will present the documents before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the donation embezzlement case.

Sanjay Singh told ANI, "I have a lot of evidence related to the land scam, and I will present all those documents before the SIT. Why has no action been taken till now? Action should have been taken by now."

Singh's Letter to SIT Details Allegations

In a letter to the SIT, Singh said that the alleged donation embezzlement has hurt the faith of crores of devotees. He wrote, "I wish to bring to your attention that the faith of crores of Hindus across the country has been deeply hurt by the scams perpetrated by the Trust managing the Lord Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya. Recently, the names of Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, Gopal Rao, Tinnu Yadav, and others have surfaced in connection with the theft of crores of rupees from the donation box. This is not an ordinary case of theft; prior to this, a scam worth crores had already taken place regarding land purchased in the name of Lord Shri Ram--evidence of which I had previously presented to the administration and the media, yet the government took no action."

He alleged the purchase of land by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra members, alleging corruption. "In 2021, Trust General Secretary Champat Rai purchased land worth Rs 2 crore from Sultan Ansari and Ravi Mohan Tiwari for Rs 18.5 crore. I lodged a complaint regarding this at the Ayodhya Kotwali police station, but no action has been taken to date. Similarly, land worth approximately Rs 3 crore was purchased from Mahant Murli Das for about Rs 24 crore, and land worth Rs 9 crore was purchased from Alok Bansal for approximately Rs 55.5 crore. Furthermore, I possess documents concerning several other land deals that contain ample evidence of corruption within the Trust," the letter read.

Opposition Leaders Attack UP Government

Earlier, Apni Janata Party president Swami Prasad Maurya also launched an attack against Champat Rai and flagged that no FIR has been filed in the case yet.

Maurya said, "Any police investigation without an FIR is inappropriate. When the entire Ram Temple is being managed under the supervision of Champat Rai, the head of the trust, and people working under the direction of Champat Rai are involved in this incident, then isn't Champat Rai guilty? Can the Yogi government dare to take action against Champat Rai?"

"This is a nefarious attempt to cover up this grave sin...Crores of rupees have been embezzled, stolen, gold and silver offered as offerings have disappeared, and diamonds have disappeared. Looting in the name of Ram has become their face, and a living example of this has been seen in Ayodhya, which is the biggest blow to faith," Apni Janata Party chief added.

BJP Hits Back at Allegations

However, hitting back at the opposition, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has maintained that those found guilty will not be spared.

Slamming Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Pathak said, "Lord Ram Lalla is the centre of our faith, and to continuously make such statements at a centre of faith where you haven't even dared to visit to date is wrong. Whoever is guilty will not be spared. No one will escape the eyes of Lord Ram Lalla."

"I want to say that the Samajwadi Party should listen to its conscience and understand what it wants for the country and the state. Today, the state has progressed in every sector. Law and order are very good. Our infrastructure is excellent. The per capita income of the people of Uttar Pradesh has tripled. You left behind a sick state, and the people of the state will never accept you," the BJP leader said.

SIT Submits Confidential Report

The three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has submitted its report to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad. SIT member Vijay Vishwas Pant said the details of the report remain confidential.

The case stems from the allegations made by former Samajwadi Party MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Temple. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)