Ram Temple Donation Case: June 5 Raid Predated FIR, CCTV Footage Key to Probe

Police

action in the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya began days before it officially surfaced. The investigators have recovered cash during a raid on the residence of one of the accused, Avinash Shukla, on June 5. Notably, the case came to light only on June 7, and the raids indicate that initial inputs had already triggered a quiet probe on the ground. A new CCTV footage has also emerged as a key piece of evidence in the probe. In the CCTV footage, accessed by Times Now, Avinash Shukla is being taken away by the police. Earlier today, police teams, accompanied by local magistrates, carried out searches at the homes of the accused, including Lav Kush Mishra, Avinash Shukla and Ramashankar Yadav.

https://youtu.be/zr5vx0D9ef8?si=O0YtpANWd0K3JQtK

They collected documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards and bank-related details from the residence of accused Manish Yadav after asking his family members to open the locked house, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.Searches were also carried out at the residences of other accused, including Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. Yadav's family members were questioned and documents were examined.

8 In Custody, Police Expected To Seek Remand on Monday

Eight people - Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav - were arrested in connection with the matter and were remanded to judicial custody till June 29 on Friday. All were said to be associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the temple.The Ayodhya Police is expected to seek their custodial remand when they are produced before the court on Monday. The investigators have reportedly so far recovered Rs 79.85 lakh.

Ram Mandir Donation Case: A Look At the Timeline

The FIR, lodged at the instance of trust member Krishna Mohan, was registered following the recommendations of the preliminary report of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government.The three-member SIT, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, was constituted on June 13 at the Trust's request after the allegations of misappropriation surfaced on June 7. The SIT submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23.

Ram Mandir Donations Row: What SIT Report Revealed

In its report, the SIT reportedly described Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava as key players in the conspiracy and its execution.In its 20-page report, the SIT reportedly mentioned about 70 theft-related incidents after analysing the CCTV footage. It mentions that the alleged embezzlement of the donation funds had been going on for 2-3 years.During the interrogation, two accused, including Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava, have reportedly made several important revelations related to the entire theft network. The SIT has written in the report that Tinnu had the keys to the bills without permission.

Champat Rai Resigns, Ram Temple Trust Says 'Shocked, Hurt'

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (Trust) on Saturday said that it was "shocked, hurt, and deeply saddened by the incidents reported over the past few days", as it assured the devotees that items, like silver bricks and ornaments, are "safe and fully accounted for."In its first official confirmation amid the ongoing controversy, the Ram Temple Trust also said that it has received the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, adding that a final decision will be taken in the next meeting.