Ram Temple
Ayodhya: The alleged Ram Temple donation theft case has taken a fresh turn after the Faizabad Bar Association in Ayodhya resolved that none of its members will appear as legal counsel for the eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement of temple donations. The association also warned that any lawyer violating the resolution would face a penalty of Rs 5 lakh.
The decision was taken during the Bar Association's general body meeting on Monday, where members expressed strong resentment over the alleged theft of offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple. The resolution comes as the police investigation into the case continues.
During the meeting, several lawyers demanded that Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao, who are associated with the management of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust but are not named as accused in the FIR, should leave Ayodhya. They warned that if the three individuals did not leave the city within three days, they would launch an agitation by blocking Ayodhya and restricting entry into the city.
Explaining the decision, Faizabad Bar Association Secretary Shailendra Jaiswal said that the alleged theft of temple offerings had deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees and the legal fraternity. He stated that the lawyers of Faizabad had unanimously agreed not to represent the arrested accused.
According to the resolution, any advocate who appears on behalf of the accused despite the decision will be liable to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
The eight accused arrested in the case are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. They remain under judicial custody as the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations continues.
