STAFF REPORTER
Guwahati: Amid the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) probe into a multi-crore financial fraud related to the Kamakhya Temple, the temple's Doloi, Kabindra Prasad Sharma, has demanded that every rupee collected in the name of the sacred Shakti Peeth be returned.
Welcoming the ED's efforts in uncovering financial irregularities, Sharma emphasized that no individual involved in the misappropriation of temple funds should be spared.
The ED conducted a search operation yesterday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, investigating the alleged misappropriation of approximately Rs 7.62 crore by officials of the now-defunct Kamakhya Debutter Board between 2003 and 2019.
The probe follows an FIR filed by the CID, Guwahati, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. The Debutter Board-which managed the Maa Kamakhya Temple-is accused of siphoning temple funds by transferring them to related entities and diverting the money into businesses owned by its officials for personal gains.
On allegations against the Debutter Board, Sharma recalled that in 2003, the Debutter Board forcibly had taken over the temple's administration, displacing the Bordeori community, which had traditionally managed the shrine since the royal era.
He further alleged that a six-member group, led by Riju Prasad Sharma, systematically embezzled temple funds meant for its upkeep and development.
Accusing the Debutter Board of being created for personal financial gains, Sharma called for a thorough investigation and urged authorities to identify and punish all those responsible for the financial misconduct. The ED's investigation is expected to bring further revelations regarding the misuse of funds meant for one of the most revered temples in the country.
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