Ayodhya Bar Association Refuses to Defend Ram Temple Case Accused, Warns Lawyers of Rs 5 Lakh Fine

Last Updated:June 29, 2026, 12:52 IST

The Ayodhya Bar Association unanimously resolved not to defend the eight accused in the Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, warning of a Rs 5 lakh penalty for violators.

The Ayodhya Bar Association on Monday resolved not to represent any of the eight accused arrested in the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, with the association also announcing a penalty of Rs 5 lakh against any lawyer who chooses to appear for the accused.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Faizabad Advocates’ Association in Ayodhya, where members deliberated on whether lawyers from the district should defend those arrested in the case.

Confirming the resolution after the meeting, Ayodhya Bar Association President Kalika Prasad Mishra said, “No lawyer will represent the accused in the case and if anyone does, a fine of Rs 5 lakh will be imposed on them."

Earlier, before the meeting, Mishra had told ANI that the association would collectively decide whether advocates should defend the accused, emphasising that the Bar’s decision would be final.

“A meeting of the Faizabad Advocates’ Association has been called. Lawyers will deliberate on the ongoing situation, whether or not to represent the accused in their defence. I cannot state my own decision right now, nor do I know it yet; the Association’s decision will be paramount," he had said.

He had also indicated that the outcome was likely to favour the temple, saying the association would decide whether lawyers would oppose the accused, defend them or merely condemn their actions.

Mishra had further said that the hearing could be conducted virtually from jail, adding that such an arrangement would likely be preferred by both the administration and the Advocates’ Association.

The decision followed strong opposition from members of the local legal fraternity over the alleged embezzlement of donations made by devotees at the Ram Temple.

According to PTI, advocates of the Faizabad Bar Association had expressed outrage over the alleged theft of temple offerings and had united in demanding stringent action against all eight accused.

Before Monday’s meeting, Bar Association secretary Shailendra Jaiswal had said that the sentiments of lawyers had been hurt by the alleged theft and that members had agreed not to plead on behalf of those arrested.

He had said the final decision would be taken by the association’s president and its general body, after which the future course of action would be decided.

Several lawyers had also made strong remarks over the case.

Advocate Vivek Kumar Singh had questioned the manner in which the accused were produced before the magistrate under heavy security, while senior advocate Rajendra Chaudhary had alleged that the actions of a few individuals had tarnished Ayodhya’s image and demanded strict action against the accused.

Lawyers also recalled that the Faizabad Bar Association had adopted a similar stand in 2005, when advocates had refused to represent those accused in the terrorist attack on the Ram temple.

The case relates to the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

An FIR was registered on June 25 under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.

Those named in the FIR include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.

The case was registered after former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey alleged that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations received at the temple had been misappropriated.

Following the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 14 to probe the alleged scam involving temple offerings after a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

According to PTI, police had also carried out simultaneous searches at the residences of all eight accused, including Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla and Ramashankar Yadav, accompanied by local magistrates.

The searches came after the accused were remanded to judicial custody, and police were expected to seek their custodial remand as the investigation progressed.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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