Amid probe into the alleged embezzlement of temple funds in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that the party did not receive any receipt for the Rs 1 crore donation it made to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut also claimed that the party did not receive a receipt for a silver brick it donated to the trust.
"We haven't received the receipt for Rs 1 crore. When the trust was formed, we gave a cheque of Rs 1 crore. We gave the first silver brick weighing more than 25 kg," he said.
Raut's allegations came in the wake of the Uttar Pradesh government setting up a Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The First Information Report in the case named Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who was said to be a former driver of the Trust's general secretary Champat Rai. The FIR also names seven others as accused in the case.
Police sources said the accused were involved in the process of counting cash and valuables donated by devotees at the temple. Officials alleged that the accused had misappropriated donations collected through boxes installed on the temple premises.
The FIR names do not include Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, Trust member Dr Anil Mishra or temple construction in-charge Gopal Rao, though they were questioned by the SIT during the preliminary inquiry.
Raut alleged that the embezzled money was used to "buy" MPs and MLAs.
Attempts were made to shield Champat Rai and local BJP functionaries, the Rajya Sabha member alleged, claiming that they had purchased land at cheaper rates and sold it to the trust at higher rates.
(With inputs from PTI)