Ayodhya lawyers hold protest march, demand FIR against Champat Rai and others
Lawyers of the Faizabad Bar Association on Thursday (July 2, 2026) organised a protest march against the alleged embezzlement of donation funds at Ram Temple
Lawyers of the Faizabad Bar Association on Thursday (July 2, 2026) organised a protest march against the alleged embezzlement of donation funds at Ram Temple in Ayodhya and submitted a petition demanding a First Information Report (FIR) against the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary, Champat Rai, trust member Anil Mishra and two others over the allegations. The lawyers marched from the court premises to the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya and demanded the police register a case following it up with a fair and impartial probe. A large number of lawyers chanted slogans during the march, demanding the registration of an FIR and an inquiry into the senior officials of the Trust. The Bar association had previously suggested that its registered lawyers would not represent the accused in this matter and cautioned that any lawyer who chose to do so would face a penalty of ₹5 lakh.
Police personnel faced challenges in managing the crowd during the march, with some lawyers claiming they sustained minor injuries due to the crowding. At the police station, dozens of lawyers stormed into the Station House Officer’s office, urging the immediate filing of a case, while police officials attempted to pacify them by assuring them that the petition would be reviewed and appropriate legal action would follow. The petition demanded an FIR against Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, Gopal Rao, and Krishna Dev Giri. “The Bar association had requested the registration of an FIR against individuals named in the petition in connection with the alleged misappropriation of donations for the Ram Temple and had called for an unbiased investigation. Rao is involved in the construction of the temple and is linked to the Trust’s activities,” a member of the Bar Association told The Hindu.
The Congress party supported the lawyers’ demand and stated that the government machinery is being openly used to protect powerful individuals. “Serious allegations are being made of theft of hard-earned money and precious jewellery donated by crores of devotees from India and abroad for the grand temple of Lord Shri Ram. The official complaint filed by the General Secretary of the Faizabad Bar Association, Ayodhya at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station directly accuses influential officials of the Ram Temple Trust like Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao, of misappropriation of crores of rupees and a well-planned conspiracy. The Congress party asks why the government machinery being openly misused to save these serious accused in the BJP government, which does politics in the name of faith?” Uttar Pradesh Congress unit President Ajay Rai said.
The BriefWire