Ram Mandir scam: 8 accused in court; lawyers to decide on defence

Eight accused in the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case were produced in an Ayodhya court. Tight security is in place as the local bar association decides whether its lawyers will represent the accused in their defence.

All eight accused in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case are scheduled to be produced before the Special Court for Corruption Act cases in Ayodhya today for judicial custody proceedings, as the local bar association meets to decide whether its lawyers will represent them.

Tight security has been put in place at the Ayodhya court, with a large police force deployed both inside the court premises and outside the complex.

The accused were sent to jail till Monday by the remand magistrate on Friday. They are expected to be sent back to judicial custody after today's appearance.

Bar Association to Decide on Representation

The Ayodhya Bar Association will decide on providing representation to the accused.

Speaking to ANI on the matter, Kalika Prasad Mishra, President of the Ayodhya Bar Association, said a meeting of the Faizabad Advocates' Association had been called for 10:30 am to deliberate on whether lawyers would defend the accused. "A meeting of the Faizabad Advocates' Association has been called; it will begin at 10:30 AM. Lawyers will deliberate on the ongoing situation whether or not to represent the accused in their defence. I cannot state my own decision right now, nor do I know it yet; the Association's decision will be paramount," Mishra said.

He added that the outcome was likely to favour the temple. "After gathering opinions, a decision will be reached regarding whether the lawyers from the Ayodhya district will oppose the accused, defend them, or simply condemn their actions... As for the decision, it is highly likely that the Advocates' Association will decide in favour of the temple and its interests," he said.

Mishra also said the hearing may be held virtually from jail. "It is highly probable that the hearing will be conducted virtually from the jail, which would be appropriate; both the administration and the Advocates' Association would likely prefer this arrangement," he said.

FIR Registered, SIT Probe Initiated

Meanwhile, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on June 25 in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

According to officials, the case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Those who have been named in the FIR are: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.

This comes after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir. Following the allegations, on June 14, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged scam involving offerings made at the Ram Mandir, following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

Political Slugfest Ensues

Reacting to the case, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told ANI, "The police administration should conduct an impartial investigation and take strict action; the government will ensure this."

The case has triggered a political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh, with the ruling BJP and Opposition parties trading allegations over the handling of the temple's finances, even as the SIT investigation continues. (ANI)

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