CBI probe sought after 54-year-sealed Banke Bihari temple's 'Toshkhana' yields 'little'
AGRA, Oct. 22 -- After a two-day search at the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, a sealed room, popularly known as the 'Toshkhana', which had remained locked since 1971, has intensified calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, with petitioners and temple representatives questioning the outcome of the operation. The room was sealed again after the two-day search.
Boxes retrieved on Saturday were opened on Sunday, revealing four 'chhadi' (sticks), one believed to be of gold and three of silver, along with half a dozen precious stones. Wooden structures, utensils, a safe, and a few other items were also found.
Dinesh Goswami, a representative of the Goswami community on the committee, said the recovered sticks are yet to be tested to determine their weight and value. The search concluded peacefully on Sunday, with the doors sealed once again. Goswami, present during the operation, said he had anticipated the search to yield little. "The khazana of the deity has been misappropriated in a planned and phased manner over decades. There should be a CBI probe to uncover the truth about why this room remained closed since 1971," he stated, adding that the identities of those involved are widely known.
Similarly, Dinesh Falahari, a petitioner in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi case in Mathura, has written to chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking a CBI investigation. He pointed out that the temple, which owns lands even in Pakistan, lacks proper records of assets, and the empty boxes suggest discrepancies in management.
"It needs to be found who controlled the temple and where the valuables offered by rulers and rich devotees went," Falahari said.
The search, conducted under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee, resumed on Sunday after doors were first opened on Saturday.
The committee, headed by retired Allahabad high court Justice Ashok Kumar, reached the hidden basement or 'tehkhana' of the temple. Despite this, no substantial material was recovered.
The Toshkhana, situated beneath the seat of Thakur Ji, was last opened 54 years ago. The decision to open it was taken by the high-powered committee in September.
While some temple servitors opposed the search, alleging misinformation about the treasure, the two-day operation concluded without protest, leaving key questions about the temple's assets unresolved....
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