The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested eight accused named in the FIR related to the alleged theft and embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple. The arrests were made following a preliminary report submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which allegedly uncovered systematic financial irregularities involving staff members responsible for counting cash donations and valuable offerings. Investigators are currently questioning the accused and examining evidence related to the alleged diversion of temple donations.
First FIR registered after SIT report
The arrests come after the recommendations in the preliminary report submitted by the SIT, constituted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to investigate the alleged Ram temple donation theft case.
Based on the findings of the initial probe, the first FIR in the case was registered against eight named accused as well as other unidentified persons. The FIR was lodged at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station on a complaint filed by a trust member.
Who are the eight accused?
The FIR names the following individuals as accused:
1. Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu
2. Anukalp Mishra
3. Lavkush Mishra
4. Manish Kumar Yadav
5. Subhash Srivastava
6. Avinash Shukla
7. Karunesh Pandey
8. Ramashankar Mishra
The FIR also mentions other unidentified persons who may have been involved in the alleged offence.
Key accused in the investigation
Investigators consider Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu a key figure in the case. According to the probe, he had significant involvement in temple operations and allegedly possessed the keys to the donation boxes as well as the counting room.
Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra were directly involved in the donation-counting process. Investigators claim that cash was recovered from their residences during searches conducted as part of the investigation.
Manish Yadav, who is reportedly Tinnu Yadav’s nephew, was also associated with the counting process. Meanwhile, the roles of Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra are also under scrutiny as investigators continue to piece together the alleged conspiracy.
Alleged recoveries during the probe
According to investigators, several cash recoveries have been made during the ongoing probe.
Around Rs 20 lakh was allegedly recovered from Anukalp Mishra’s residence, while approximately Rs 10 lakh was recovered from Lavkush Mishra’s home.
Cash was also reportedly recovered from Manish Yadav and Ramashankar Mishra. In addition, investigators claim that around Rs 5 lakh was traced to Avinash Shukla’s bank account.
Sections invoked in the FIR
The accused have been booked under Sections 305, 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). They have also been charged under Section 13(1)(a) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
How the Ram Mandir donation controversy began
The controversy first came to light earlier this month when Samajwadi Party leader Pawan Pandey and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that more than Rs 7 crore in donations made by devotees had been misappropriated.
The allegations gained wider attention after reports claimed that an internal audit had detected a significant mismatch between the large number of devotees visiting the temple every day and the amount of cash officially recorded in the donation boxes.
Following the allegations, the temple trust sought a detailed investigation, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to set up an SIT. The team’s preliminary findings eventually led to the registration of the FIR and the arrest of the eight accused.
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