Ram Temple donation row: Police question three accused as SIT prepares final report

Ayodhya Police are intensifying their investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Three key accused, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey, are undergoing intense questioning. Officers are confronting them with CCTV footage, witness statements, attendance registers, and bank records to pinpoint their roles in diverting temple donations and identify any accomplices.

Investigators are meticulously examining financial transactions, bank records, property documents, and electronic evidence to trace the alleged money trail. They aim to determine if any proceeds from the crime were invested in movable or immovable assets. While eight individuals have already been arrested, authorities have not ruled out more arrests if further complicity is established, potentially including bank employees or others involved in the donation-counting process.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is preparing for its third visit to Ayodhya before submitting its final report to the state government. The probe is also examining the role of individuals associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and bank officials to uncover a larger conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath defended the Ram Temple Trust, stating that only eight of the nearly 100 people involved in counting donations are suspected of embezzlement. The controversy began on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that ₹5 crore to ₹7.5 crore in donations were siphoned off. The state government established the SIT on June 13, and an FIR was filed on June 25, leading to the initial arrests.

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only eight of the nearly 100 people engaged in counting of donation money were suspected of embezzlement.