Lucknow/Ayodhya: The alleged multi-crore embezzlement of devotees’ donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya took a major turn on Friday, with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and Trust member Anil Mishra stepping down from their posts. Their resignations came amid growing scrutiny over the handling of temple donations and the ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of offerings.
All eight accused who had been arrested earlier were remanded to judicial custody. The investigators turned focus to possible involvement of banking officials. Police, in fact, suspect the alleged embezzlement was part of an organised racket that siphoned off temple funds over several years.
According to sources, Rai and Mishra resigned on moral grounds days after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted preliminary findings highlighting serious lapses in the management of donations and cash offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple. Their exit is being viewed as the first major accountability measure after the controversy triggered widespread outrage and demands for action against those responsible for supervising the temple’s day-to-day administration and the handling of offerings.
The resignations followed the registration of an FIR against eight persons, including temple attendants, cash-counting staff and a retired bank employee, who are accused of working in collusion to divert cash and valuables donated by devotees.
All eight accused were arrested and presented before a magistrate on Friday, who remanded them to three-day judicial custody till June 29. Police are expected to seek their custodial remand for detailed interrogation to unravel the alleged conspiracy, trace the flow of funds and identify other beneficiaries, say sources.
The accused include Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra and retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava. Investigators believe each played a specific role in the alleged embezzlement of offerings received at the temple.
Among them, Ramshankar Yadav a.k.a. Tinnu has emerged as the central figure in the investigation.
Tinnu, a former driver of Champat Rai, allegedly enjoyed considerable access within the temple administration, say sources. He is suspected of exploiting his position to manipulate the handling of donations, they add.
His proximity to senior members of the Trust has intensified questions over administrative oversight, although no evidence has yet been made public linking the resigned Trust officials to the alleged financial irregularities.
Investigators are also examining the role of former banking personnel and serving bank officials after preliminary findings suggested that the alleged racket extended beyond temple premises. Subhash Srivastava, a retired bank employee who supervised cash-counting operations, is alleged to have coordinated duty allocations and facilitated the diversion of funds.
During questioning, investigators claim some of the accused disclosed the names of additional banking officials who allegedly acted as conduits in the misappropriation of donations.
The State Bank of India had been authorised to handle the counting and processing of cash offerings at the temple. Investigators are now examining whether banking procedures were manipulated to facilitate the alleged siphoning of funds. Sources familiar with the probe indicated that more officials could face legal action if evidence of collusion emerges.
Police suspect the operation may have been active for nearly two to three years.
According to investigators, cash bundles were allegedly concealed inside washrooms within the temple complex before being removed during the night, later distributed at separate locations and channelled into accounts linked to members of the alleged syndicate. CCTV footage and financial records are being analysed to establish the movement of cash and identify all those involved.
The investigation was launched after the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on June 14 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Its preliminary report flagged multiple irregularities in the handling of donations, prompting the registration of the FIR and subsequent arrests.
(IANS)
