Ayodhya Donation Theft: Lawyers Boycott Accused, Impose ₹5 Lakh Fine on Anyone Who Defends Them

The Faizabad Bar Association resolved on Monday to boycott all individuals accused in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case, imposing a ₹5-lakh fine on any member who defends them.

Lawyers demanded that former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust figures Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao leave Ayodhya within three days. They threatened a citywide blockade if the three did not comply, according to Hindustan Times. Rai and Mishra recently resigned from their trustee positions amid the controversy.

The developments follow an ongoing Special Investigation Team probe into the alleged embezzlement. Police have arrested eight people so far and recorded Rai's statement following his resignation from the temple trust.

The Bar Association will move the court under Section 156(3) to register a case against Rai, Mishra, and Rao. The legal body is also seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the matter.

"Such a massive incident could not have occurred without the knowledge of these other individuals, as Champat Rai, Gopal Rao, and Anil Mishra," Bar Association President Kalika Prasad Mishra told ANI. A video of the President went viral following the decision, in which lawyers around him clapped at the announcement.

"The theft of temple offerings has deeply hurt our sentiments," Bar Association Secretary Shailendra Jaiswal said. “All lawyers in Faizabad have agreed not to defend the arrested accused.”

The Bar Association president and its general body have finalised this decision, with further strategy to be planned in the coming days. The Bar has formed a committee of office-bearers to handle the prosecution’s case and will issue a formal letter shortly.

The legal strategy follows a historical precedent from 2005, when the Faizabad Bar Association similarly refused to represent the accused in the Ram Mandir terrorist attack case.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday refused an urgent hearing for a plea seeking a probe into the allegations. The court deferred the matter until after the summer break.

Scale of Alleged Theft

Political figures have presented varying estimates of the missing temple funds. A Samajwadi Party MLA said earlier this month that between ₹7 crore and ₹7.5 crore in donations had been embezzled or stolen.

Other opposition leaders said wider losses occurred, with one leader seeking accountability from the government over the alleged donation row, citing the theft of 70 kg of silver, 1,250 kg of gold, and ₹200 crore in cash. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal amplified these figures during a visit to Ayodhya last week.

"Diamonds and precious stones that devotees offered to God have been stolen, ₹ 200 crore in cash has been stolen, and even 200 kilograms of silver have been stolen," Kejriwal said.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust issued a press release over the weekend saying that all devotee donations remain safe and accounted for. The trust added it was "shocked, hurt, and deeply saddened by the incidents that have come to light in Shri Ram Temple (Ayodhya) over the past few days".