LUCKNOW: Another case of a fraudulent land deal has cropped up in temple town as Ayodhya police registered an FIR against a temple priest Ramakant Pathak for allegedly selling Naya Anand Bhavan Temple property to Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Keshtra Trust through fake documents.
The complaint about the matter was filed by Anand Prakash Pathak, the temple's caretaker, who claimed that the property was an ancient religious asset that could not be transferred for personal gain.
Meanwhile, Ramakant Pathak, initially appointed as the temple priest, was removed due to alleged misconduct and was ordered by the court to vacate the temple in 2016. However, Pathak stayed on despite the court order and conspired with revenue officials to get the temple land transferred in his name.
Going a step further, Ramkant Pathak, on September 21, 2024, reportedly sold 21,198.8 square feet of temple land to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for Rs 6 crore using forged documents.
Following a court directive, police filed an FIR, and an investigation got underway.
According to the complaint of the temple caretaker Anand Prakash Pathak, the Bhagwan Sundar Ram Ji Maharaj Temple is an ancient religious site located on Nazul land plots numbered 280, 281, 282, 283, and 289 in Chak Ramkot, Ayodhya. The temple was originally established by Ram Sundar, a childless devotee, who registered the temple’s ownership and management with the Sub-Registrar's Office in Faizabad on January 6, 1962, and November 8, 1967.
The registered documents explicitly stated that no individual could sell or transfer any part of the temple’s property for personal gain. A management committee had been taking care of the temple and Anand Prakash Pathak serves as President of the committee and caretaker of the temple.
The accused Ramakant Pathak was initially appointed the temple’s priest for performing day-to-day rituals and puja. However, he was later removed from his position after being accused of misusing and damaging temple property. However, he allegedly refused to vacate the premises.
In response, the management committee filed a civil suit in the Faizabad Civil Judge’s Court, seeking his eviction. After years of legal proceedings, the court ruled on February 2, 2016, ordering Ramakant Pathak to vacate the temple premises within two months. However, he did not abide by the court order, leading to ongoing legal battles.
According to the complaint, Ramakant Pathak, in collusion with local land mafias and a Nazul clerk named Lalamani, fraudulently altered official land records.
By forging documents, he falsely registered himself as the owner of the temple land. The fake mutation was allegedly executed on September 16, 1995, where he replaced the name of the original temple founder with his own. When temple authorities discovered the forged land records, they filed an appeal with the Nazul Officer, who, after investigation, cancelled the fraudulent entries on February 21, 2019. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against Ramakant Pathak and clerk Lalamani at Kotwali Nagar police station under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120B of the IPC. Ramakant Pathak was arrested but later released on bail.
Despite the cancellation of his fraudulent land ownership, Ramakant Pathak allegedly concealed the legal facts and, on September 21, 2024, sold the disputed temple land to the Temple Trust. The sale deed, registered at the Sub-Registrar’s Office in Ayodhya, falsely stated that the land was under his undisputed ownership.
On learning about the sale, Anand Prakash Pathak filed complaints at Kotwali Nagar and Ram Janmabhoomi police stations on October 3, 2024. When no FIR was registered, he escalated the matter with the Senior Superintendent of Police, Ayodhya, on October 4, 2024. The case was eventually brought before the
Additional Civil Judge (CD) Fourth/ACJM Ayodhya, who directed the Kotwali Nagar police station to register an FIR and initiate an investigation within 20 days. SHO, Kotwali, Ashwini Pandey, said that an FIR was registered under the charges of BNS 319 (2) (cheating by personation), 318 (4) (fraudulently inducing someone to give property), 338 (forgery of valuable documents), 336 (3) (forgery), and 340 (2) (use of forged documents) against Ramakant Pathak.