Ayodhya Bar Asks Champat Rai To Leave Town Within Three Days: Why Has It Taken This Stand?
The Faizabad Bar Association has demanded that Ram temple functionaries Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao leave Ayodhya within three days, saying the alleged embezzlement of devotees’ donations has shaken public faith and requires accountability beyond the arrests already made. Although none of the three has been named in the FIR, the Ayodhya Bar said it would launch a city-wide blockade and stop people from entering Ayodhya if they failed to comply. The decision came during a unanimous general body meeting held in the wake of the alleged donation scam involving eight people linked to counting offerings at the Ram temple.
As per reports, the Ayodhya Bar also decided that none of its members would appear for the arrested accused. Lawyers who still wish to defend them must first seek permission from the association and deposit Rs 5 lakh for each accused, with the money to be used for pursuing the prosecution.
Why the Ayodhya Bar believes temple functionaries should face legal scrutiny
Reports say that while Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao have not been booked in the case, the Ayodhya Bar wants legal action initiated against them. The association resolved to seek an FIR under Section 156(3) of the BNSS by first approaching the police and, if necessary, the courts.
Bar president Kalika Prasad Mishra said, “If any lawyer still wishes to represent the accused, he or she will first have to submit an application and deposit Rs 5 lakh per accused with the Bar Association. The amount will be used to pursue the prosecution of the case.” The lawyers’ body has also decided to move the Allahabad High Court for a CBI investigation and, if required, approach the Supreme Court.
How the Ayodhya Bar linked its stand to devotees’ trust in the Ram temple
According to Bar secretary Shailendra Jaiswal, the legal fraternity unanimously adopted the resolutions because the alleged misuse of devotees’ offerings had deeply hurt their sentiments. The Ayodhya Bar argued that the seriousness of the allegations demanded a wider investigation rather than limiting the probe to those already arrested.
The eight accused, Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav, were responsible for counting cash and valuables donated at the temple. All eight have been remanded to judicial custody until June 29.
What happened after the Ayodhya Bar passed its resolutions
According to reports, as the investigation continued, police raided the homes of all eight accused on Sunday. Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts by PTI. However, Ravi Mishra, son of Anil Mishra, defended his father, saying he had devoted himself to the Ram temple and had done nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, media personnel were stopped from covering activities outside the Ram temple’s main entrance on Monday morning after police cited official orders. The Ayodhya Bar has maintained that it will continue pressing for legal action, a CBI probe and greater accountability in the alleged donation embezzlement case.
Also Read: Why Did Akal Takht Summon Punjab’s Sikh MLAs Over The Anti-Sacrilege Law?
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
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