Uttar Pradesh top official denies delay in Ayodhya land purchase probe

Nearly two weeks after an inquiry order being passed by UP CM Yogi Adityanath regarding the Ayodhya land scam case, a concrete step to address the issue is yet to be taken. However, Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue Department Manoj Kumar Singh noted that investigation is not delayed, and continuing as per its usual course.

Lucknow:With several allegations of corruption and irregular transactions having emerged in relation to the Ram Janmabhoomi land purchase in Ayodhya since 2020, an order was issued by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath back in December to conduct an inquiry into the case. After nearly two weeks of the order being passed, however, a concrete step to address the issue is yet to be taken.

As per sources, chances of government officers or BJP-affiliated leaders turning out guilty in the investigation ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022 is what is keeping the administration from going ahead in full gear.

Speaking to ETV Bharat over phone, Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue Department Manoj Kumar Singh however noted that investigation was continuing as per its usual course.

"The investigation is going on. Some new facts have to be included, which has led the process to get delayed. The report will be sent to the Chief Minister soon," Singh said.

Several politicians in the state, including Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Kumar Singh and Congress state president Lallu Singh, have in the past accused the BJP government and officials in Uttar Pradesh government of having illicit land purchase in Ayodhya.

Sanjay Singh had previously produced several documents in the support of his claim, adding various top officials and their relatives were connected to the scam.

Names associated with the scam included M.P. Agrawal, who was the commissioner of Ayodhya in 2019, Deepak Kumar, then DIG of Ayodhya, Purushottam Dasgupta, the chief revenue officer of Ayodhya, among others.

Allegedly, the land located near Ram temple, originally valued at Rs 2 crore, was sold twice, first for Rs 8 crore and the second time for Rs 18.5 crore to the Ram Mandir trust within a short span of time.