Land deal: Faizabad court summons Ram temple trust secretary Champat Rai, three others

A court has summoned Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra secretary Champat Rai and three others in connection with a land deal for the Ayodhya temple. The plea in this regard was filed in the Faizabad District Court by Shiv Sena leader Santosh Dubey and Shankracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand of Varanasi, challenging the sale of the land belonging to a temple adjacent the Ram Janmbhoomi site.

The counsel for the petitioners, Tarunjeet Varma, said about 300-year-old Fakire Ram Mandir, having 30,830 sq feet area, was sold to the Ram Janmbhoomi trust by Mahant Raghuvar Sharan on the consent of priest Kripa Shankar Das and patron Ram Kishor Singh in March this year for Rs 3.71 crore.

"We have raised objection before the court that no one has the right to sell the temple as its ownership belongs to the deity and no one can sell the property or donate it,” said Varma

We have also demanded that the sale deed made on March 27 and mutation ordered in favour of Mahant Raghuvar Sharan be cancelled, Varma said.

A prayer has also been made not to demolish the temple.

The court has fixed August 6 as the next date of hearing.