Gaya, Feb. 18: The office bearers of a Buddhist society have lodged formal complaint against the priest of the society’s temple.

An FIR has been lodged against nine persons, including the priest of a Korean temple in Bodhgaya, for alleged misappropriation in the sale of immovable property of the temple, owned by Hankuk Buddhist Society.

Jong Woo Kim, the secretary of the society, has lodged the complaint with Bodhgaya police station in which he has named Kim Chong Chul, the priest, along with Park Byeung, Kim Kuen Lan, Youn Myung Sing, Bhalu Manjhi, Krishna Manjhi, Panna Devi, Om Prakash and Mohammed Saukat Ali.

A source said Chul, taking advantage of the fact that the office bearers of the society live in different parts of the world, got them to sign documents to transfer the ownership of the property to his name.

When a team of office bearers visited Bodhgaya on September 24 last year, they found Chul — who was appointed as the priest in 2009 — behaving as the owner of the temple. When they complained about it, Chul replied he was now the owner of the property.

A source said a false annual report and list of names of the members of the society’s governing body was submitted to the registrar of societies.

In the report, Chul is named as the president, Byeung as the vice-president, Kim as the treasurer, Bhalu as the secretary and the others as members.

As the president of the society, Chul entered into an agreement with Om for the sale of some of the property. Om said he had paid a huge amount to Chul, as per the agreement.

Shaukat Ali had executed the sale deed pertaining to some portion of the property.

The FIR that was lodged on the order of chief judicial magistrate, also said none of the persons named in the list submitted to the registrar of societies have ever been primary members of the society.

Hankuk Buddhist Society was registered on September 13, 1991 under the Societies Registration Act. Some property was purchased by the society in Bodhgaya to construct the temple — popularly known as Korea Temple — for the worship of Lord Buddha.

Chul was entrusted with the responsibility of the rituals and regular management of the temple.