A court in Ayodhya has granted one-day police custody of three accused—Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra and Karunesh Pandey—for further interrogation in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple.
Police had sought seven-day custody of the three accused, who are currently in judicial custody, arguing that sustained custodial interrogation was necessary to advance the investigation. The Investigating Officer (IO) informed the court that questioning the accused was essential to uncover further details and establish the sequence of events in the case.
Earlier on Sunday, a police team questioned five accused inside the jail. Based on information gathered during those interrogations, investigators moved the court seeking police custody of three of the accused for further examination.
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), in its preliminary report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government, found prima facie evidence of theft and pilferage during the counting of donations at the Ram Temple.
The inquiry involved an examination of CCTV footage, statements of Trust officials, bank officers, security personnel and counting staff, besides scrutiny of bank records, seizure documents, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Trust's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
According to the report, CCTV footage available between April 27 and June 5 repeatedly captured some counting personnel allegedly concealing bundles of currency notes and loose cash inside their clothing, pockets, shoes and other hidden locations. The footage also purportedly showed other employees assisting or shielding such activities.
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The SIT said the available recordings document nearly 70 instances of alleged theft or pilferage during the period under review. Based on statements from employees and discrepancies between the cash counted and the amounts deposited in banks, the report noted that similar incidents may have occurred before April 27 as well. However, the absence of older CCTV footage made it impossible to determine the full extent of any earlier irregularities.
The report further observed that several prescribed security measures, including frisking of personnel, biometric attendance, restrictions on carrying personal belongings, CCTV surveillance and other safeguards mandated under the Trust's SOPs, were not implemented effectively.
Based on CCTV footage, recovery records, financial documents and witness statements, the SIT identified Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra as having prima facie involvement. It stated that Avinash Shukla and Manish Kumar Yadav were repeatedly seen allegedly removing or concealing cash, while the remaining accused were found to have assisted in or engaged in similar acts.
Meanwhile, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj announced that the resignations of Champat Rai as General Secretary and trustee Anil Mishra had been accepted during a recent meeting of the Trust.
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