Row erupts over alleged ₹45 cr land deal linked to Ahmedabad’s Jagannath Temple

A fresh controversy has surfaced over land associated with the Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur area, with allegations that trustees illegally sold a portion of high-value land, triggering demands for government intervention.

According to information, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation had allotted around 1.5 lakh square yards of land in Behrampura in 1992 to the Narsinhdasji Gaushala Trust. The total value of this land is now estimated to be around ₹450 crore.

As per the allegations, in 2018, nearly 28,000 square yards of this land parcel was sold privately by trustees. While the deal is said to have been worth around ₹45 crore, only ₹7 crore was reportedly shown in official records, raising serious concerns over the alleged disappearance of the remaining ₹38 crore.

Demands have now been intensified for the takeover of the temple administration by the government, arguing that intervention is necessary to prevent further alleged irregularities. 

Meanwhile, Jagannath Temple Mahant Dilipdasji and trustee Mahendra Jha have denied wrongdoing, stating that the matter is currently under consideration before the Gujarat High Court. They added that a previous order by the charity commissioner has been stayed by the court and expressed confidence in the judicial process.

With the case sub judice, the final outcome now hinges on the high court’s ruling, which is expected to be decisive in the dispute.