The politicians in our country do not leave any stone unturned to scam into anything and everything, and in the bargain, they don’t even spare God. The Land scam of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir Temple is one of the most controversial issues that has come up in the media.
SP leader and former UP minister Pawan Pandey and AAP MP Sanjay Singh held separate press conferences on Sunday, claiming that land worth Rs 2 crore was bought at Rs 18.5 crore by the trust. They have brought the money-laundering charges against Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai.
The leaders have alleged that Rai had been aided by trust member Anil Kumar Mishra. The allegation has been refuted by Rai and Mishra. Quoting purported entries of the registered sale deed of the land, Singh told reporters in Lucknow on Sunday that the trust had entered into an agreement with Sultan Ansari on March 18 and he was paid an advance of Rs 17 crore, besides Rs 1.29 crore as stamp duty.
Ansari had purchased the 1.208-hectare plot at Bag Bijaisi village in the Ayodhya Sadar area only minutes ago from a woman named Kusum Pathak for Rs 2 crore, according to the purported documents. Mishra was a witness in both deals.
Meanwhile, Kusum and Harish Pathak cannot be found at their house, a two-story building at Sakin Pathkapur village in Harraiya tehsil of Basti district, about 35 km from Ayodhya. The couple was not home when they visited them Monday morning, and hadn’t returned till late at night. Their neighbors said Monday the couple had probably “gone out of town” as they didn’t see them for a day.
“He (Pathak) has sold several pieces of land. He is not exactly a property dealer but his work is similar to it. He keeps on buying and purchasing land in Ayodhya. He rarely talks to us,” one of the neighbors told, refusing to give out his name.
The Pathak couple’s versions are vital to solving many puzzles in this real estate deal. They had sold the land in question to one Sultan Ansari, a property dealer, and his business associate Ravi Mohan Tiwari on 18 March 2021.
Earlier, AAP MP Sanjay Singh & former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey addressed separate press conferences in Lucknow and Ayodhya Sunday to allege financial impropriety in the land deal.
“On 18 March, it (the land) was purchased at 7.10 pm. After five-ten minutes, the same land was bought by the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and Champat Rai for Rs 18.5 crore from Ansari and Tiwari. Rs 17 crore was transferred through RTGS.”
While the trust has maintained there was total transparency in the land deal, it hasn’t responded to the allegations about the mere ten minutes’ difference in two land deals with a cost differential of Rs 16.5 crore.
On being asked how a piece of land worth Rs 2 crore could become worth Rs 18.5 crores in 10 minutes, as alleged, the mayor maintained that the purchase was valid. “It’s based on today’s circle rate. Its value is Rs 5.8 crore. For the acquisition, the government is ready to pay four times the circle rate. Therefore, Rs 18.5 cr is still less. It was not a bad deal. Now people are doing politics on it.”
Anil Mishra, the other witness, also denied the allegations, saying the trust will clarify the allegations soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government must initiate a thorough probe by the CBI and ED, and the corrupt persons should be sent to jail, as it is the question of faith of crore devotees of Lord Ram, who have given their hard-earned money for the construction of the Ram temple,” Singh said.
He also said in any trust, the board makes a proposal for the purchase of land.”How come in five minutes, this proposal was passed and the land was immediately purchased?” he asked.
Rai issued a statement saying: “Allegations of even assassinating Mahatma Gandhi were leveled at us. We do not fear allegations. I will study the allegations leveled on us, and probe them.”
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: “Lord Ram, what kind of days are these? Scams are happening by taking donations in your name….”
