Ayodhya: Mahant Vivek Achari of the ancient Dant Dhavan Kund Achari Temple in Ayodhya said that an inquiry by the CBI and not a special investigation team (SIT) alone is required to get to the depth of the ‘corruption’ over the theft of donations from the Ram temple.“Aap jitna iski gehraayi mein jayenge, utna samjhengi ki kaise bhrashtachar hi hai [The deeper you will go into this, the more you will understand that this is just corruption],” the priest said. “Now Ram lalla is virajman [on his throne], he will ensure justice.”“The SIT is fine but if the CBI comes in [to probe this case] things will become much clearer. The CBI can look at the money trail and can also travel wherever needed, unlike the SIT, which may have to take permission. So the CBI should be roped in just so that the taint on an Ayodhyawasi can be removed,” the priest also said.Achari asked why the precious gifts given to the Ram temple are not kept within the premises or their details disclosed to the public. “Why isn’t the amount of jewellery, silver, gold etc. made public, as in the case of the Sai Baba temple or at Tirupati? Also, why is all the jewellery and the riches stored at Karsevakpuram, not at the temple?”He also said that Hindu rituals were not followed during the temple’s construction and these deviations have now come home to roost.“Why is there a garbha griha [sanctum sanctorum] built on top of the garbha griha? There is no precedent to this anywhere in the world. If you do the darshan at the new garbha griha, you are standing atop the Lord. Why? Because no one heard anyone out and people were not taken into confidence before decisions were made, when the pran pratishtha [consecration] or the dhwaj aarohan [flag hoisting] was done here,” he charged.He was referring to the fact that idols were consecrated in the temple’s Ram Durbar, one level above where the main Ram Lalla idol sits.“There are 18 pujaris and they cannot even go inside the garbha griha and part with tulsi leaves without calling up Gopal Rao,” Achari said, referring to the special invitee of the temple trust who has become embroiled in the embezzlement allegations and whom the trust removed on Monday.He said a devotee had once visited the temple from the US and wanted to take a few tulsi leaves or a flower as a symbol of god’s blessing, but the pujari “could not even part with a small tika or souvenir for him”. “When there is so much control of everything, how can anyone believe that the corruption details were not known to whoever is at the top?”Among the trustees, only “three or four” of them controlled the temple’s affairs and the others were merely ‘ornamental’, never taken into confidence, Achari alleged.“The land deals conducted by temple trustees need to be fully investigated and disclosed. People and devotees have donated to god and [the temple’s affairs] cannot be controlled by a small coterie,” the priest demanded, also questioning why the Trust required private security personnel over and above the state-deployed personnel already present.Achari further took objection to numerous other temples in the city being included within the Ram temple complex. “All of Ayodhya has so many ancient and beautiful, important temples. They should have been beautified and the entire town made to look regal, but that has not happened,” he said.Allegations that cash and gifts potentially worth crores of rupees were embezzled from the Ayodhya Ram temple surfaced early last month, and the Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government set up an SIT to probe the allegations eight days later.An FIR was lodged 18 days after the accusations became public – and after the SIT filed an interim report – following which the police arrested eight persons, most of whom are believed to have been involved in counting the temple’s donations.With the spotlight falling on the temple trust’s general secretary Champat Rai – a Vishva Hindu Parishad leader thought to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi – and other members of the administrative body, Rai and his colleague tendered their resignations late last month. The trust accepted them only on Monday after it convened in Ayodhya.