The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) on Thursday served notice on an unauthorized three-storey under-construction house owned by the wife of prime accused Lavkush Mishra, in what officials described as a prelude to demolition of the property.
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“A notice has been issued to Supriya Mishra, wife of Lavkush Mishra, for violating Development Authority rules in constructing their buildings at Banvirpur village in Sohawal tehsil. The land was purchased in her name, while the construction was allegedly done without obtaining mandatory approval from the Development Authority,” ADA Secretary Rakesh Kumar Mishra said.
Supriya was given a week to explain why action should not be taken on charges of violating building regulations, officials said. “If violations are proven and the owner fails to provide a satisfactory explanation, further action, including demolition action, will be taken in accordance with applicable legal provisions,” a senior official said.
Supriya Mishra denied receiving any notice. “I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t received any notification. My house is being built near Shahdatganj. He has been working on the Ram temple for two to three months,” she told reporters.
Investigators searched Lavkush Mishra’s home on Wednesday and questioned his family members as part of an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in donation collections at the Ram Temple.
Lavkush was appointed by a private agency operated by the State Bank of India to count the money collected from the donation boxes at the Ram temple, along with five other men – all of whom were arrested.
According to officials, the ADA action was on the directives of the state government to identify immovable assets acquired or built by the accused after joining the Ram Temple Foundation and check whether such properties comply with statutory construction norms.
The above-mentioned officials said the ADA has identified several properties allegedly linked to the defendants and which are suspected to have been built without approved building plans or in violation of development regulations. Notices are issued as part of the mandatory legal process before commencing any coercive action.
Another property belonging to co-accused Anukalp Mishra in Kushalpuri was also subject to audit and may face similar action if violations are found during the inspection, officials said.
“The authorities are also checking whether any assets acquired by the accused warrant further action under applicable provisions of law,” the officials added.
On November 13, 2024, the Supreme Court issued an order that no demolition should be carried out without prior notice to the property owner for 15 days and without following legal guidelines.
The controversy over Ram Temple Fund donations first came to light on June 7 when SP leader Tej Narayan “Pawan” Pandey claimed that the donations were worth $5 Crores $Rs 7.5 crore has been withdrawn from the temple offerings. On June 13, the state set up the Special Investigation Committee at the request of the Temple Trust.
The committee conducted a preliminary investigation between June 15 and 20, and observed apparent irregularities in the handling of money and valuables offered by worshippers.
