The seer of Udupi Pejawar Mutt, Sri Vishwaprasanna Tirtha, one of the trustees of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, on Friday expressed hope that the ongoing probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir would bring out the truth.

Speaking to reporters in Udupi, Sri Vishwaprasanna said that if the allegations were true, the guilty should be punished. It was unfortunate that such an incident had reportedly happened at the Ram Mandir, the centre of devotion for lakhs of devotees worldwide, he said.

Asked whether he was not aware of the allegations, Sri Vishwaprasanna said that, as a trustee, he would make certain suggestions and hoped that the trust members and officials would carry them out. The seer said he could not be present all the time to oversee their implementation.

Sri Vishwaprasanna said he was not aware of the reported resignation of the trust’s general secretary Champat Rai. “We trustees have a WhatsApp group and Mr. Rai sometimes texts me. Either way, I am not informed about his resignation and hence cannot comment on it,” the seer said. He further said the issue would be discussed in detail at the trust’s July 11 meeting.

The seer said the trust was of the view that there should be neither a seva list in the temple nor any performance of sevas so as to ensure equality among devotees.

For years, the seer has been advocating seva to Lord Ram by way of constructing houses for the poor and the downtrodden instead of making donations at temple hundis. Such initiatives are being taken up in and around Udupi by various organisations and by the Mutt, he said. One could render seva to the lord by doing social service, he said.