Prayagraj, while taking up the case of alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Justice Atul Sreedharan of the Allahabad High Court observed that there was nothing to shame those who were not disturbed by this development.
The judge also suggested the death penalty for crimes under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Making strong observations on the recent bulldozer actions taken by the Uttar Pradesh government, Justice Sreedharan simultaneously criticized the systemic corruption plaguing Indian institutions, stating that the “theft” of recent donations at the Ram temple represented the “rock bottom of Indian integrity”.
Explaining this, he added that the average Indian has normalized corruption and no longer considers it wrong unless caught.
He further noted that even the fact that India ranks 91st out of 182 countries in the Transparency International 2025 report “doesn’t shame us”.
Referring to the “donation theft” issue, he said: “The recent controversy related to donation theft at Ram Temple is the last straw on the camel’s back. Nothing can shame people who were not disturbed by the theft at Ram Temple which embodies the nadir of Indian integrity.”
Expressing concerns about how deeply corruption has been normalized in society, the judge went so far as to suggest that the state should consider amending the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, to impose death penalty on those convicted.
The scathing remarks were made in Justice Sreedharan’s 51-page opinion in a split ruling that addressed the issue of “bulldozer justice” and the demolition of homes owned by defendants under the guise of municipal code violations.
Setting the context for these demolitions, the judge said that the demolition of the house immediately after the crime was largely aimed at satiating the “perceived blood lust” of a community that thrives on a staple diet of “bulldozer justice.”
He stressed that despite the Supreme Court rulings, demolitions continue with impunity “as if these rulings do not exist or the state is certain that defying the law established by the highest court in the country will not lead to any negative consequences.”
Moreover, while examining how unauthorized structures came into being in the first place, Justice Sreedharan pointed out that no dwelling is constructed overnight.
He said: “The authorities have the duty to ensure that such structures do not deliberately close their eyes due to political or bureaucratic support enjoyed by the builder, or due to dishonesty.”
The court also noted that the construction of non-compliant homes is facilitated by dishonest officials who take bribes from builders and leave the final buyer to suffer from law enforcement and face sudden eviction decades later.
In this context, Justice Sreedharan categorically pointed out that the state is part of the crime for actively aiding the offenders by colluding and providing sovereign facilities like water and electricity to these structures.
He also said that this “collective lack of integrity” affects every institution, including development authorities.
Justice Sreedharan warned that rampant corruption in the country would lead to illicit concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, “widen the gap between the haves and have-nots” and set “a scenario of civil unrest in the coming days”.
Justice Sreedharan urged the state to take stringent legislative measures if it really wanted to clean up the system.
“If the country is serious, really serious, about curbing corruption and saving India from the morass of abject dishonesty and complete lack of integrity, it must consider amending the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, to include death penalty for those convicted of corruption,” he said.
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