Over 100 lawyers of the Faizabad Bar Association marched to Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya on Thursday and submitted a complaint seeking the registration of an FIR against members of the Ram temple trust over the theft of donations.
Kalika Prasad Mishra, the president of the association, told reporters: “We have submitted the application for an FIR against four persons for embezzlement of temple funds. The police have promised to take it up. I won’t reveal what our strategy would be if the police delay in filing the FIR, but I can tell you that you all will see what we are capable of doing if they don’t take legal action against the trust members.”
Kalika Prasad said the association had mentioned the names of Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust who resigned earlier this week; Anil Mishra, former member; Krishna Mohan, current member; and Gopal Rao, an unofficial administrator of the temple.
“A written complaint has been submitted. The police have said action will be taken. For now, we will see what action is taken at Kotwali Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station,” Kalika Prasad said.
Police personnel had a tough time managing the crowd during the march, with some lawyers alleging that they suffered minor injuries in the jostling.
Superintendent of police (city) Chakrapani Tripathi said the cops had received the complaint and that it was being examined.
Later, the police said the complaint had been entered in the general diary (GD) at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station and an acknowledgement receipt issued to the complainants. A GD refers to the police station’s official register for recording complaints, incidents and daily proceedings.
A senior police officer said the complaint was being examined in accordance with the law and appropriate action would follow.
He added that if an FIR was found to be warranted but had not been registered, action would also be taken against the officers concerned at the police station.
Taking moral responsibility for the theft, Rai and Anil Mishra have already resigned from the trust.