A fresh dispute has emerged over land linked to the Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur area, with allegations that trustees illegally sold a portion of the prime property, prompting calls for government intervention.
According to reports, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had allotted around 1.5 lakh square yards of land in Behrampura to the Narsinhdasji Gaushala Trust in 1992. The land is now estimated to be worth nearly ₹450 crore.
Allegations claim that in 2018, about 28,000 square yards of this land was sold through a private deal. While the transaction is believed to have been valued at around ₹45 crore, only ₹7 crore was reportedly recorded in official documents, raising concerns over the alleged disappearance of ₹38 crore.
Following the claims, demands have intensified for a government takeover of the temple administration to prevent further alleged irregularities.
However, Jagannath Temple Mahant Dilipdasji and trustee Mahendra Jha have denied any wrongdoing, stating that the matter is currently pending before the Gujarat High Court.
They said a previous order by the charity commissioner has been stayed and expressed confidence in the judicial process.With the case sub judice, the final decision now rests with the high court’s ruling.