Ayodhya Priest Booked for Fraudulent Sale of Temple Land to Ram Mandir Trust

Ayodhya police have registered an FIR against priest Ramakant Pathak for allegedly selling 21,198.8 sq. ft. of Naya Anand Bhavan Temple land to the Ram Mandir Trust for ₹6 crore using forged documents.

The temple, an ancient religious site, was legally non-transferable. Pathak, removed in 2016 for misconduct, allegedly conspired with revenue officials to alter land records. Despite prior court rulings and an FIR in 2019, he sold the disputed land in 2024.

Following legal intervention, police registered an FIR and launched an investigation. The complainant, Anand Prakash Pathak, also reported receiving threats.