Allahabad High Court on Ram Temple theft (ANI image on right)
NEW DELHI: Allahabad High Court judge, on Tuesday, made strong observations on the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying the incident reflected the”nadir of Indians’ integrity”and that those unfazed by it could not be shamed.The observations were made while the bench was hearing a matter related to the Uttar Pradesh government’s recent bulldozer actions. During the hearing, Justice Sreedharan criticised the deep-rooted corruption in public institutions.Backs death penaltyThe judge also advocated the death penalty for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Justice Atul Sreedharan said, “The recent controversy relating to the theft of donations at the Ram temple is the proverbial last straw on the camel’s back. Nothing can shame people who remain unfazed by the theft at the Ram temple which epitomises the nadir of Indians’ integrity”.””The average Indian has accepted corruption as normal. He does not consider it wrong unless someone is caught. India ranks 91st out of 182 countries on the Transparency list, and even that does not make us feel ashamed,” he added.Supreme Court orders fresh SIT probeThe Supreme Court earlier has directed the constitution of a fresh Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft case. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the new SIT should be led by a senior IPS officer to ensure a fair and conclusive investigation.”We only want to issue a word of caution. Do not politicise this matter. At first glance, this appears to be an offence under criminal law. It must be investigated fairly, independently and with complete honesty. The investigation should be taken to its logical conclusion,” the CJI observed.The case so farThe controversy erupted on June 7 after former Samajwadi Party minister Pawan Pandey alleged that donations worth Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore had been stolen from the Ram Mandir.Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the government’s silence and sought a judicial probe, while Ram Mandir Trust general secretary Champat Rai rejected the allegations. BJP leader Dr Rajneesh Singh later demanded a CBI investigation, following which the Prime Minister’s Office sought a report from the temple trust.An FIR was registered on June 25 on the complaint of trustee Krishna Mohan. Police has subsequently arrested eight accused in the matter till now.
