Ram Temple donation theft: FIR lodged against 8, Champat Rai aide Tinnu Yadav among accused

Amid the Opposition’s criticism over delay in registring a case in connection with the alleged donation theft at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a First Information Report (FIR) was finally lodged on Thursday.

The FIR has reportedly been filed under Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5) on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Government.

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However, the FIR has not named Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, whose name had also surfaced in the alleged donation theft.

According to reports, one of the devotees had alleged that he made a donation of a silver artifact to Champat Rai but the latter didn’t provide any reciept.

Those named in the FIR are – Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.

Tinnu Yadav is a key associate of Trust General Secretary Champat Rai.

Samajwadi Party demands UP CM’s resignation

Following the development, the Opposition Samajwadi Party has demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“Orders have been issued to register an FIR in the theft of donations and offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. After this, it has become clear that the matter is very serious and after writing an FIR alleging theft of donations at the Ram Temple, the Chief Minister of the state has no moral right to remain in power even for a day,” said SP MLA Ravidas Mahrotra.

He said that the Samajwadi Party demands Adityanath’s resignation to ensure an impartial investigation into the matter.

“We want the Chief Minister to resign and for an impartial investigation to be completed. Strict action should be taken against those responsible, and it should be determined how such a massive theft occurred despite so much security and the presence of so many police. Who is responsible for this should be determined, and the culprits should be punished severely,” he added.

How the alleged donation theft at Ram Temple came to light?

This comes after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir.

Following the allegations, on June 14, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged scam involving offerings made at the Ram Mandir, following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

Meanwhile, a fresh petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation into allegations.

The petition sought registration of an FIR and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the reported missing funds, financial irregularities, mismanagement, and other alleged illegalities concerning the affairs and administration of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

(With inputs from agencies)