Petition filed against Emar Mutt Mahant

PURI: More than a year after the recovery of 19 tonnes of silver ingots worth ` 90 crore from Emar mutt here, a former employee of the mutt has filed a petition in the local Civil Judge Senior Division Court questioning the credentials of  present mahant Rajgopal Das.The petitioner, Purna Chandra Das, alleged that soon after the demise of Mahant Srinibas Ramanuj Das in 1987 the accused Sunil Kumar Sharma alias Mahant Rajgopal Das had fraudulently prepared a Will by forging the signature of the late mahant. He presented it before the State Commissioner of Endowments requesting them to accept him as successor.The Commissioner, apparently without proper examination of the Will allowed Sharma to take over, Purna Chandra stated in his petition. Purna Chandra has filed a number of documents containing the original signature of the late mahant which did not tally with the signature in the Will.He sought before the court to declare the appointment of Sunil Kumar Sharma as void. The civil judge, after hearing counsel Ashok Kumar Das, accepted the case and issued notice to Sharma. Earlier, Purna Chandra had filed a writ petition in the High Court in this regard. The HC asked him to file a case in the civil court. This apart, Purna Chandra also filed a complaint with the DGP and CB alleging fraud.