Ram Temple donation theft case: Police raid homes of all eight accused, probe intensifies

The investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations and offerings at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya moved forward on Sunday as police conducted searches at the residences of all eight accused arrested in the case. The raids were carried out as authorities continued gathering evidence linked to the alleged theft from the temple.

The searches come after the eight accused were sent to three-day judicial custody on Friday. They will remain in jail till June 29 and are scheduled to be produced before the city court again on Monday.

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Eight booked in alleged theft case

A total of eight accused have been booked in connection with the alleged theft at the temple, and all of them have been arrested. The FIR was registered at Ayodhya Kotwali police station on Thursday based on a complaint filed by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The accused named in the case include Ramshankar Yadav (alias Tinnu), who is associated with temple management, along with Trust employees Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, and Avinash Shukla. Retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava has also been named as an accused.

SIT report flagged irregularities

The case was registered soon after a three-member SIT highlighted several irregularities at multiple levels in its preliminary report.

Police said the alleged theft will be uncovered through interrogation of the accused and analysis of CCTV-based evidence. Authorities added that if further names emerge during the investigation, action will be taken against them.

The preliminary investigation has pointed towards different roles allegedly played by each accused at various levels. The role of Ramshankar Yadav, alias Tinnu Yadav, has come under increased scrutiny as the probe continues.