There has been a big twist in the much discussed case related to alleged irregularities in donations and offerings of Ram Raja temple in Orchha, Ramraja city of Niwari district, which is called the second Ayodhya of Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh. About 9 years ago, the then temple clerk Munnalal Tiwari was accused of serious allegations of irregularities in temple donations and jewellery. However, the investigation at the government and administration level could not be completed for years.
Now Madhya Pradesh High Court, Jabalpur, while giving its verdict in this case, has canceled the FIR registered against Munnalal Tiwari. The role of the then Tehsildar Gulab Singh Baghel in the case has also been under constant questioning. This entire matter is of the year 2017, when Orchha used to be a tehsil of the then Tikamgarh district. A complaint was made to the then Collector Priyanka Das about alleged misappropriation in donations and offerings in Ramraja Temple.
Investigation report ready on 16 points
After the complaint, investigation was handed over to SDM Jatara Aditya Singh. In the investigation, a report was prepared on 16 points, in which serious financial irregularities were mentioned and questions were also raised on the role of the then Tehsildar Gulab Singh Baghel. On the basis of the report, the then Collector ordered to terminate the services of Munnalal Tiwari and register an FIR against him. After this, a case was registered under various sections of IPC at Orchha police station on 10 September 2017.
Clerk made a scapegoat
Complainant Ramnaresh Das said that Munnalal Tiwari only did clerical work in the temple, while financial and administrative decisions were taken at the senior revenue officials and Tehsildar level. He claims that the investigation did not find any concrete evidence of embezzlement, fraud or forgery against him. At the same time, in the investigation report submitted by the Lokayukta organization to the government in the year 2019, the allegations leveled against him were termed as baseless.
The Tiwari side alleges that a clerk was made a scapegoat to save the responsible officials, whereas the responsibility of the management and chairmanship of the temple trust rests with the District Collector.
Serious allegations against police administration
The complainant in the case, Ramnaresh Das, alleges that the administration and the police covered up the case from the beginning. He says that the then Superintendent of Police Rai Singh Narwaria did not conduct a timely and effective investigation and did not present the necessary documents before the High Court, due to which the FIR was cancelled.
Politics also heated up, Congress made allegations
After the decision of the High Court, the matter also seems to be taking on a political colour. Congress state president Jitu Patwari has raised the demand for SIT investigation into the Orchha Ramraja temple donation scam. He says that just as a special mechanism was created to investigate the cases related to Ayodhya Ram temple, similarly SIT should be formed in the Orchha case also. Patwari raised the question that even after 9 years it was not clear who was responsible for the alleged irregularities in the donation amount of the temple.
BJP’s counter attack on Congress
At the same time, BJP spokesperson Vivek Gupta has called Congress’s allegations politically motivated. He said that on one hand Congress has been raising questions on the existence of Lord Ram and on the other hand it is doing politics in the name of Ram. He said that the government is looking at the entire matter seriously and whatever appropriate action will be taken based on the investigation.
Why is the investigation incomplete even after 9 years?
This matter related to donations and offerings of Ramraja temple has left many questions even after 9 years. After the High Court canceled the FIR, a new debate has started regarding the role of investigating agencies, administration and political parties. The biggest question still remains that if there were irregularities, who was responsible for them and why the investigation could not reach any concrete conclusion in 9 years.
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