VHP demands FIR, best officers for Ram Mandir donation case probe

VHP's Alok Kumar demands an immediate FIR and deployment of top officers in the Ram Mandir donation case. He said no accused should be shielded and called for a fast-track court to punish culprits, dismissing opposition criticism as political.

Vishva Hindu Parishad's International President Alok Kumar on Thursday called for immediate registration of an FIR and deployment of the "best and most capable" police officers in the purported Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, saying no accused should be shielded or favoured.

"It is a logical step. We do not have the SIT report in our hands yet, but everyone has stated that they have identified the people involved. It was done based on CCTV footage; the stage has now been reached where the police should file an FIR," Kumar told ANI.

On Tuesday, the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, submitted its report to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad. According to officials, the report is an initial submission based on the findings of the investigation conducted so far.

SIT member Vijay Vishwas Pant said the details of the report remain confidential. "We have submitted the report to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home). This is an initial report and we have submitted it to him. The details are confidential, so we cannot disclose anything at the moment. We have made our findings available to him," he said.

VHP Demands Swift, Unbiased Probe

Authorities have not shared further details, stating that the contents of the report are under review. Kumar said VHP wants the FIR registered quickly and experts brought in for the investigation.

"Everyone involved, or those accused, should be investigated. No one should be shielded, no one favored, and no one should be under pressure," he added.

Kumar also demanded that the chargesheet be filed in a fast-track court with daily hearings. "My wish is that if we can get all these culprits punished by the court within 4 months and sent behind bars, then the Hindu society will be satisfied," he said.

On Resignations and Professional Management

When asked about media reports that Champat Rai, Alok Nishay and Vinod Nishay had resigned on moral grounds, Kumar said he was not aware of any resignation. "This is hypothetical. If someone is to resign, it should not be due to moral responsibility. It could also be so that the investigation remains unaffected, but I am not giving them any advice. They will do what they feel is right; they are people of firm conscience," he said.

On alleged "glitches in the system", Kumar said Ram Mandir construction and donations could not run only on trust. "It is necessary to establish professional management. An experienced person should be there, there should be Standard Operating Procedures, and a fool-proof system so that not even a single paisa can be misappropriated. Then, we will be able to regain the public's trust in that temple," he stated.

Kumar Dismisses Opposition Demands as 'Political'

Responding to demands from Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leaders for a CBI-ED probe and multi-party investigation, Kumar termed it political. "They are running their 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election campaign. The public should remember how much they love Lord Ram. There are thousands of 'Kar Sevaks' alive who had to walk from Lucknow to Ayodhya at night, who stayed in jail, and families whose members were killed in the firing during the Mulayam Singh government, and people who gave statements in the Supreme Court that Lord Ram did not even exist. Today, those people are speaking up for Lord Ram? This is a drama; this is an election campaign. The Hindu public understands this; they will not allow this matter to be politicised, and this society will give them their appropriate punishment," Kumar said.

Background of the Allegations

The remarks came after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between ₹7 crore and ₹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.

Meanwhile, a fresh petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged financial irregularities of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. The petition sought registration of an FIR and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the reported missing funds, financial irregularities, mismanagement, and other alleged illegalities concerning the affairs and administration of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. (ANI)

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