Baba Lal Das
Baba Lal Das was the former court appointed chief priest of the Ram lalla idols inside the Babri Masjid of the Ayodhya dispute in India.[1] He was considered a star witness in the Babri Masjid demolition case and a vocal opponent of the Vishva Hindu Parishad campaign to build a temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
He lost his life on 16 November 1993 over a land dispute.[1]
Early life and career
Baba Lal Das was born in Shringrishi village close to Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. After completing his religious schooling in Raghunathpur, Jammu and Kashmir, he became a priest at a temple in Mehsana, Gujarat.
After returning to Ayodhya, he joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and served as a secretary in the local unit after being drawn to the party commitment to equality.[2]
Death
On 16 November 1993, Baba Lal Das was shot dead in the middle of the night in Ranipur Chattar village, 20 km from Ayodhya. The CBI took over the investigation of the case in 1994 and charge sheeted two people for murder over a four year old personal land dispute.[3]
References
- ^ a b "26 years ago, former Ram Lalla priest was shot dead". Times of India. 16 November 2019.
- ^ "The Murder of Baba Lal Das: An Investigative Report" (PDF). Manushi. No.79: 2. November 1993.
{{cite journal}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Ayodhya's Forgotten Mahant and His Message of Peace". The Wire. 13 November 2019.