All Eight Accused Arrested in Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Embezzlement Case

By Mahima Katal

Ayodhya, June 26: Police have arrested all eight individuals named in an FIR over the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, senior officials said on Friday.

The FIR was registered following a complaint by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, based on the recommendations of a preliminary report submitted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government.

According to officials, all eight accused were arrested late Thursday night in Ayodhya and are currently being questioned. Police are expected to produce them before a magistrate.

The accused—Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu—were associated with counting cash and valuables donated at the temple.

The FIR invokes multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306 (theft by a clerk or servant), 316 (criminal breach of trust), 317 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), and 61 (criminal conspiracy), among other charges.

The controversy first surfaced on June 7 after allegations of irregularities in the handling of temple donations emerged. On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The panel submitted its preliminary findings to the state government on June 23, leading to the registration of the FIR on June 25.

Subhash Srivastava was reportedly supervising the cash-counting staff, while the remaining accused were involved in counting cash and valuables or assisting in the process.

Among those arrested is Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, a former driver of the Trust's General Secretary Champat Rai. Tinnu has denied participating in the cash-counting process and alleged that the accusations were motivated by personal rivalry.

Officials said the SIT made "strong and strict" recommendations in its preliminary report. A senior government official stated that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken the matter seriously and that anyone found guilty would face strict legal action.

The issue has also triggered political controversy. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav first raised the allegations publicly on June 7, after which the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Aam Aadmi Party also demanded criminal proceedings.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders have termed the FIR an "eyewash," alleging that it fails to fix accountability on senior Trust functionaries, including General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.

Attempts to obtain comments from senior Trust officials, including Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, were unsuccessful.