Ram Mandir Donation Row: 23 Counting Staff Quit; 'Stolen Funds' Were Invested In Stocks - SIT Probe

Ayodhya: The probe by the special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the alleged embezzlement of funds at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is intensifying day by day. Sources now told Times Now 23 employees involved in counting donations at the Ram Mandir have resigned simultaneously. The mass resignation came after the implementation of a new set of rules governing the handling of temple donations. Meanwhile, during the investigation, it was also revealed that the stolen money was invested in stocks.The resignations were submitted to the contractor responsible for deploying the staff. As per the sources, donation boxes at the Ram Temple had been counted by housekeeping staff. Under the new rules, housekeeping personnel

are set to be reassigned to their original duties, while a dedicated team will be appointed exclusively for counting donations.The new protocol also mandates that staff involved in the counting process wear pocketless uniforms, strictly adhere to enhanced security measures, and submit police-verified character certificates before being assigned the task.Meanwhile, in connection with the donation theft case, police had questioned the volunteers involved in counting the cash from the donation boxes. The revamped guidelines are aimed at strengthening transparency and security in the handling of donations.

'Stolen Funds' Invested In Stocks': SIT Probe:

Sources Told Times Now that during the course of the investigation the police have found that a portion of the stolen funds was invested in the stock market and also lent out at interest. According to the police sources, several transactions were routed through the bank accounts of relatives and close associates of the accused.As per the sources, police took accused Anukalp Mishra to his residence on Thursday morning, where they conducted a search for around 20 minutes and also questioned his family members. Police have reportedly frozen transactions in 30 bank accounts belonging to relatives of the three accused, Karunesh Pandey, Anukalp Mishra, and Lavkush Mishra.

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The sources said preliminary findings indicate that these accounts recorded transactions disproportionate to the account holders' known sources of income. During questioning, Anukalp Mishra and co-accused Avinash allegedly admitted that the stolen donation money was invested in the stock market and also lent to people with interest, the sources revealed.The investigators also found that the money was distributed among close associates and relatives before being transferred back into their bank accounts to allegedly conceal the financial trail.The SIT will submit its final report to the Uttar Pradesh government on July 15.