Mysterious theft of precious Ram Shilas; Champat Rai in the dock

Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees had sent bricks (shilas) embossed with Lord Rama's name for the construction of the temple in his name at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, India. At least 1,250 of these shilas were made of gold, silver and other precious metals. Many were studded with diamonds and gems. Some of them were worth tens of millions of rupees. These precious bricks were kept under lock and key in a room with three doors. The man responsible for keeping them safe was the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Champat Rai, who was later made the general secretary and a nominated member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust. One day all the 1,250 precious bricks went missing. Santosh Dubey, president of the Dharam Sena, who participated in the demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992, was witness to the shock and pain the theft caused to the late Mahant Paramahans Ramchandra who was the chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. The Mahant complained to the police, and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to no avail. Till date the theft of the valuable shilas remains a mystery.