The district jail administration in Ayodhya has firmly denied claims that the accused in the Ram Mandir donation theft case are receiving any VIP treatment behind bars. For the past few days, several newspapers and digital media outlets had carried reports suggesting that the people accused of stealing devotees' offerings from the temple premises were being given special concessions inside the jail. District jail superintendent Mukesh Kumar dismissed these claims on Sunday, stating that a total of eight accused in the case are currently lodged in the jail and that none of them has been given any facility outside the standard rules that apply to every inmate.
What the Jail Superintendent Said
Mukesh Kumar issued a formal statement saying that reports of VIP treatment being extended to the donation theft accused are completely baseless and unfounded. He clarified that every inmate and every accused lodged in the jail, whichever case they are booked under, is being treated strictly according to the prescribed rules. According to the jail administration, no accused in this case has been given separate food, a separate room, extra visitation rights, or any other kind of relaxation that ordinary undertrial prisoners do not otherwise get. The superintendent's statement was meant to put an end to the speculation that had been building up around the treatment of the eight accused since the case first drew wide public attention.
High-Security Barrack and Round-the-Clock CCTV Watch
The jail administration has issued a formal denial of the reports that had been circulating in the media. It said all eight accused have been kept together in the jail's high-security barrack, an area that is placed under a full security cover at all times. Every movement of these accused inside the barrack is being tracked continuously through CCTV cameras installed for the purpose. The jail administration said all the inmates in this case remain within camera range round the clock, and the CCTV footage can be pulled up and checked at any time it is required, so that it can be shown that no one among them is being favoured or given any preferential treatment.
Sant Sammelan in Ayodhya on July 23
After the donation theft case at the Ram Mandir came to light, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are jointly organising a Sant Sammelan, or a conclave of seers, at Mani Ram Chhawni in Ayodhya on July 23, with the aim of restoring devotees' trust that was shaken by the case. Sources indicate that the sammelan has deliberately been scheduled for a day after the meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. To make the event a success, volunteers of the Sangh and workers of the Parishad are visiting various religious sites across Ayodhya to reach out to seers directly and personally invite them. According to sources, these same workers are also briefing the seers about what they describe as an alleged smear campaign being run against the Trust, and are urging them to attend the sammelan in large numbers. Notably, this entire exercise is being modelled on the pattern that was followed during the original Ram Mandir movement, when seers were similarly invited to gather at Mani Ram Chhawni.
Several Key Decisions Expected at the Sammelan
Sources say several important decisions could be taken at the Sant Sammelan, after which similar gatherings may be organised in other parts of the state as well, extending the outreach effort beyond Ayodhya. Meanwhile, an ongoing meeting of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Delhi is also being seen as significant in this context, with some major decisions likely to emerge from those deliberations too. According to sources, Krishna Mohan, who currently holds charge as the acting general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, could be appointed as its permanent general secretary. Besides this, a formal division of responsibilities among all the office-bearers of the Trust is also expected to be worked out, so that the running of the Trust's affairs is placed on a more settled footing going forward.
