Amid mounting outrage over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, the Faizabad Bar Association in Ayodhya on Monday announced that none of its members would represent the eight arrested accused and said it would move court for a CBI probe.
Separately, a plea seeking a time-bound investigation by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary team came up before the Supreme Court, but a vacation bench questioned the urgency and postponed the hearing until after the summer break, saying "heavens are not going to fall".
The lawyers' body in Ayodhya passed a resolution warning that any member going against the boycott would face a Rs 5 lakh penalty. They demanded that Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao -- all associated with the management of the temple but not mentioned in the FIR -- "must leave" Ayodhya "within three days" or the entire city would be blockaded and no one would be allowed to enter.
Association president Kalika Prasad Mishra also sought legal action against the three and said it will approach the high court and, if needed, the Supreme Court for a CBI probe.
The Bar had taken a similar boycott decision in 2005, following a terrorist attack at the then makeshift Ram temple, when lawyers decided not to defend the accused. Finally, a lawyer from Lucknow represented the accused in the case.
The eight accused, arrested last Thursday, were produced before Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court, Rajat Verma, through video conferencing and were remanded in judicial custody for an additional two weeks after the police did not seek their custody, Special Prosecution Officer Umesh Dubey said.
The accused were associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the Ram Temple.
Sources in the State Bank of India (SBI) claimed on Monday that the bank wanted to change the cash-counting staff at the shrine three months ago, but the members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust did not allow it. There was no immediate reaction from the Trust.
The sources claimed that the bank had an inkling about three months ago that funds were being siphoned off from the donation boxes at the temple and recommended removing the staff from the cash-counting duty.
In the apex court, Justices M M Sundresh and Sheel Nagu refused an urgent hearing of a plea on the Ram temple donation irregularities and said the matter will be listed for hearing after the summer break. The court will reopen on July 13.
“Heavens are not going to fall… What is the urgency,” the bench observed orally.
The petition, filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, said a CBI-led multi-disciplinary special investigation team (SIT) should probe the alleged iillegalities concerning the affairs and administration of the Trust.
The plea also sought directions to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and the temple trust to constitute and operationalise regulatory, supervisory and audit mechanisms to maintain the confidence of millions of devotees and donors.
It said the issues involved not only concern the possible commission of cognisable offences but also directly affect the sentiments and confidence of countless devotees.
Pleas seeking an independent probe and judicial intervention to ensure transparency in the management of temple funds were also listed before a vacation bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday but could not be taken up due to paucity of time.
The opposition sharpened its attack on the BJP, which has highlighted the Ram temple construction among its major achievements, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav urging "true Sanatanis" not to vote for the BJP or seek election tickets from the party, alleging that it had "betrayed Lord Ram".
Yadav claimed that "links of the theft" extended to Karnataka and that these people were also involved in "election-related conspiracies".
Speaking in the same vein, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal urged the people to defeat the BJP, alleging that they had "looted" the country and did not even spare Lord Ram.
The BJP, on its part, described the lawyers' boycott move as a "powerful message from Hindu society" and asserted that those accused of looting in Ayodhya are not only facing the full force of the law but also social boycott.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made it very clear that exemplary punishment will be meted out to the guilty and speedy justice will be ensured, the party said, adding the case will proceed as per the rule of law.
As the sparring between the BJP and the opposition parties intensified, the Congress said that its high-level delegation led by its Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai will visit Ayodhya on Tuesday.
The opposition party also claimed that the SBI had three months ago recommended the removal of officials posted at the donation counting centre and sought to know who was "protecting" them before the fund embezzlement came to light.
Speaking to reporters in Raipur, Pawan Khera, Chairman (Media and Publicity Department), AICC, said the alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple was only a brief glimpse and more such cases were yet to come.
Hitting out at opposition parties, Uttar Pradesh minister Dayashankar Singh said that their leaders "don't believe in Lord Ram, have never visited the temple in Ayodhya, have taken no part in its construction and yet question people who have given up family life to serve the nation".
Meanwhile, Faizabad Bar Association president Kalika Prasad Mishra said that it would approach the Allahabad High Court for a CBI probe and, if no relief is granted there, it would move the Supreme Court.
It would also seek registration of an FIR against Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra under BNSS Section 156(3), which empowers a magistrate to order the police to investigate a cognisable offence if the police have not acted on a complaint.
"We will first approach the police for registration of the case, and if no action is taken, we will seek legal remedy through the courts," Kalika Prasad Mishra said.
However, the brother of Champat Rai, who resigned as the general secretary of the temple trust, defended him. Speaking to PTI, Sunil Bansal described the allegations against his brother as politically motivated, asserting that Champat Rai had given up "everything" for the RSS, the Ram temple movement and the service of the country.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad backed the temple trust, saying it has been pushing for a fair probe and carried out an internal inquiry. The RSS affiliate also supported Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, saying they voluntarily resigned from the trust to ensure a fair probe.
On June 13, the UP government constituted the SIT on a request from the temple trust following allegations of misappropriation of donations. Based on the SIT's report, eight people -- Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav -- were arrested.
Opposition parties have alleged that only small players were facing action and the main culprits were still free.