5 lakh fine on any lawyer who defends accused in Ram Temple donation theft case—Ayodhya Bar Assn

'People sent to jail are drivers, or sanitation workers...main accused are Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao, authorities are protecting them,' Association's V-P tells ThePrint.

Ram Mandir donations alleged embezzlement case, following the court hearing, the eight accused are being taken away from the special court, in Ayodhya on Friday. | ANI Video Grab

New Delhi: No lawyer will represent the accused in the Ram Temple donation theft case, the Ayodhya Bar Association has decided. And if an advocate does decide to take up the case, the association plans to impose a 5 lakh fine on them.

“Proceedings will be initiated to register cases against Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra. It has also been decided that a CBI probe will be demanded…If necessary, the Ayodhya Advocates’ Association will approach the Supreme Court and the High Court at its own expense,” Kalika Prasad Mishra, President, Ayodhya Bar Association, told ANI.

“The people who they have sent to jail are drivers, or sanitation workers. They are not the culprits. The main accused are Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao, but the authorities are protecting them,” Ayodhya Bar Association Vice President Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay told ThePrint.

The association has resolved to explore initiation of proceedings against Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra under Section 175 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers a judicial magistrate to order the police to register an FIR and investigate a cognizable offence.

On speculation about retired IAS officer Nripendra Mishra being appointed as CEO of the Ram Temple trust, Upadhyay said, “When kar sevaks were fired on, he was the chief secretary in the government. We’re hearing that the government is thinking about making him the CEO. We will also oppose this also. We won’t let this happen.”

(Edited by Niyati Kothiyal)