Ram Temple Donation Row: Fresh details have emerged in the investigation of alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, with police claiming that three arrested accused laundered the stolen
money through the bank accounts of friends and relatives to conceal the money trail.
According to India Today, citig sources, the accused– Anukul Mishra, Luvkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey– revealed during interrogation that they routed the stolen funds through the accounts of close associates before transferring the money back to themselves to avoid suspicion.
Investigators have reportedly corroborated parts of their statements using bank records, sources added. Following this, 30 bank accounts belonging to the accused and their family members were frozen.
The three accused were taken into police custody after a court granted their remand in the donation theft case. According to sources, they confessed to working with co-accused Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu and donation-counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava to steal cash from offerings and launder the proceeds.
Additionally, the primary accused, AviAvinash Shukla disclosed details of an additional spent of around Rs 19 lakh on family members and friends. During custodial interrogation, Shukla reportedly revealed that he spent around Rs 19 lakh on family members and friends, including Rs 6 lakh on the wedding celebrations of one of his brothers, gave Rs 5-6 lakh to another brother and purchased a car worth around Rs 3.5 lakh.
Meanwhile, Ayodhya Police have recovered Rs 20.39 lakh in cash, 1,121 US dollars, gold jewellery, silver ornaments, other valuables and a car from Shukla’s possession. According to police sources, the vehicle, a Maruti Brezza, bearing registration number UP42AP6054, was bought with the stolen money but registered in the name of Shukla’s brother, Abhishek. The SUV has now been seized as part of the ongoing investigation.
The recovery was made after Shukla, who was taken into police custody on a 24-hour remand, was questioned for nearly 13 hours. Investigators said the sustained interrogation yielded several crucial leads in the case.
During the remand period, police took Shukla to multiple locations, including a yoga centre in Kaushalpuri and the 14-Kosi Parikrama Marg, where he allegedly identified spots where the stolen donation money was divided among the accused.
The case centres on allegations that cash and valuables donated to the temple may have been misappropriated. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple. The Uttar Pradesh government recently granted the SIT a 15-day extension to widen the scope of its investigation on July 1.
Sources said the accused also disclosed the locations where they had hidden stolen cash and jewellery. So far, police have recovered Rs 79 lakh in cash and jewellery from premises linked to the accused, with further recoveries expected.
