Lawyers affiliated with the Faizabad Bar Association on Thursday, 2 July announced a foot march to the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya to formally demand registration of an FIR against Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's former General Secretary Champat Rai, former trustee Anil Mishra, and others in connection with the alleged embezzlement of funds and donations at the Ram Temple. Bar Association President Kalika Prasad Mishra confirmed the move, calling it a distinct complaint separate from an earlier FIR already lodged against eight accused.

What the Lawyers Are Demanding

'We have decided to march till there on foot to register the complaint, but if we are stopped on our way, then we will ask them to accept our application in front of the media and put a stamp on it,' Kalika Prasad Mishra said. He clarified that the new complaint targets different individuals — Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and other trust members — and that 'more names can get added.'

The Bar Association has also called for a CBI inquiry into the alleged financial irregularities, as well as intervention by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). 'There is so much money involved, who will probe if the ED does not come in? In fact, it should have come in by now,' Mishra said.

Concerns Over the Earlier FIR

Mishra raised procedural questions about how the previously lodged FIR — filed against eight accused — was handled by police. He specifically questioned the manner in which recovered cash was documented. 'The police have recovered the cash from ten different places, but it has been mentioned together,' he said, suggesting that the consolidation of recovery details could obscure accountability.

He further alleged that law enforcement had compromised its neutrality by providing security to the accused. 'Those people have been provided security by them, so how will they lodge an FIR against them?' he said. 'The police have failed — despite such heavy security, this large-scale misappropriation took place.'

What Happens if Police Refuse

The Bar Association President warned that non-compliance by police would trigger further legal escalation. 'If the police do not register their complaint, then the lawyers might file an impeachment against those who are found to be involved in misdoings,' Mishra said, adding: 'Legislature has provisions for everything.'

He also indicated that the lawyers' collective would continue to pursue the matter regardless of the police response: 'If they don't lodge the complaint, then we will keep searching out their misdeeds.'

Background and Significance

The alleged embezzlement case centres on funds and donations received by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the body that oversees the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The trust rose to national prominence following the Supreme Court verdict that paved the way for the temple's construction. The current controversy, reportedly involving cash recovered from multiple locations, has drawn demands for multi-agency scrutiny — with the legal fraternity in Ayodhya now taking a public stand. The case is likely to attract wider political and legal attention in the days ahead.