Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Theft Case: Dr Anil Mishra Likely To Face Legal Action After SIT Report

Ayodhya: Former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Dr Anil Mishra is likely to face legal action in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submits its final report, sources associated with the investigation told this reporter.

According to the sources, investigators have examined the role of several Trust functionaries during the detailed probe and gathered material that has placed Mishra under scrutiny. They said a large number of employees engaged at the temple had been appointed on his recommendation. Counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava, who is already in judicial custody, is also considered a key figure in the alleged irregularities.

Probe Examines Alleged Role Of Supervisory Officials

Sources said investigators suspect the alleged theft continued despite the knowledge of those responsible for supervising the donation counting process. They added that this has led the probe team to examine Mishra's alleged complicity. However, the sources maintained that the investigation has not found material warranting criminal action against former Trust General Secretary Champat Rai. According to them, neither the preliminary inquiry nor the detailed investigation has indicated his involvement in the alleged theft.

The FIR was registered on the basis of the SIT's preliminary findings and named Tinnu Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Anukalp, Lavkush, Manish, Avinash, Karunesh and Ramashankar as accused. Although Mishra's name surfaced during the inquiry, he was not named in the FIR, which also included unidentified accused. Sources said the list of accused could expand after the final report is submitted, with additional names, including those of Mishra and some bank officials and employees, likely to be considered if the available evidence supports such action.

Champat Rai May Face Administrative Action

According to the sources, Champat Rai's resignation from the Trust, which has already been accepted, is likely to remain the only action against him. They said the investigation has examined his role from the perspective of administrative responsibility and alleged negligence rather than criminal conspiracy.

The SIT was expected to complete its detailed investigation by July 15, but the report is yet to be submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government. There is speculation that the investigation team has sought additional time to complete the exercise. Reports suggesting that the findings would be submitted directly before a court could not be independently confirmed. Officials associated with the investigation have declined to comment.

Sources further said the investigation has recommended significant changes to the donation counting system to improve transparency. These include deploying only regular bank employees for counting offerings, rotating their duties every 15 days and appointing a bank officer to supervise the process. The custody of donation box keys would remain with an authorised Trust functionary during counting.

The sources also said investigators viewed it as a serious lapse that six arrested counting personnel had originally been recruited for housekeeping work but were assigned cash counting duties by Trust officials. They said the proposed reforms aim to ensure that only authorised personnel handle the counting process and that institutional safeguards are strengthened to prevent similar incidents.