Investigators question family members, examine assets and trace the alleged money trail as the Ram Temple donation theft investigation gathers pace
The investigation into the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case intensified on Sunday, with police and revenue officials conducting simultaneous raids at the residences of all eight accused in Ayodhya as part of an expanding probe into the suspected money trail.
According to sources, police teams accompanied by local magistrates and a revenue official reached the homes of the accused to gather evidence, assess their financial assets and examine whether alleged misappropriated donation money was used to acquire properties or other valuables.
The eight accused — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav — were arrested last week after CCTV footage allegedly captured them stealing cash during the counting of donations received from devotees at the Ram Temple.
Families questioned over assets
Investigators are now questioning family members of the accused and compiling details of assets acquired over the past four years, including land, jewellery, bank deposits and vehicles.
Officials are also speaking to neighbours to verify whether there had been a sudden improvement in the financial condition of the accused and their families.
Sources said the families of Tinnu Yadav and Manish Yadav did not cooperate with the investigation.
During the inquiry, Neha Mishra, aunt of accused Anukalp Mishra, reportedly told investigators that the family’s financial condition was modest before he began working with the Ram Temple Trust and that their lifestyle changed significantly thereafter.
Police tracing money trail
The raids are aimed at determining the extent of the alleged embezzlement and identifying assets that may have been acquired using stolen donation funds.
A local court had earlier remanded all eight accused to police custody till Monday. Investigators are expected to seek an extension of custody when they are produced before the court.
Nearly Rs 80 lakh recovered
While the exact amount allegedly siphoned off is yet to be officially established, sources estimate that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore may have gone missing from temple donations.
Police have so far recovered Rs 79.85 lakh from the accused. It remains unclear whether any additional cash or assets were recovered during Sunday’s searches.
The case was registered after a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The accused have been booked under various provisions relating to theft by a servant, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Investigations are continuing to establish the full extent of the alleged embezzlement.
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