Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Theft: Questions Mount Over 10-Day Delay In FIR, Trust Under Scanner

Ayodhya: Who asked Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai not to file an FIR when the alleged theft of temple donations first came to light on May 27? And why was the matter kept under wraps for nearly 10 days before it exploded into a public controversy?

These questions are now at the centre of the Ram Temple donation theft case after reports surfaced that the alleged embezzlement had come to the notice of both the trust and the police on May 27 itself.

According to reports circulating on social media and information gathered by investigators, Rai had reached a police station to lodge a complaint after the alleged theft was detected. However, before an FIR could be filed, trustee Dr Anil Mishra allegedly arranged a phone call between Rai and an unidentified person. After the conversation, Rai reportedly left the police station without submitting a written complaint.

The identity of the caller and the reason behind the decision not to register a case at that stage remain unanswered, fuelling allegations that there was an attempt to suppress the matter.

Reports also claim that police had immediately initiated action against six people, including Lavkush Mishra, Manish Yadav, Karunesh and Ramashankar, and had even taken them into custody briefly. Yet, despite the seriousness of the allegations, the case did not enter the public domain.

The issue surfaced only on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Pawan Pandey raised questions over the missing donations. A day later, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav posted on social media about the alleged theft, triggering a political storm and putting the functioning of the Ram Temple trust under intense scrutiny.

The Uttar Pradesh government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and eight accused have since been arrested and sent to jail.

Jail interrogation reveals new details

Police, after obtaining court permission, questioned the accused lodged in jail for nearly two hours on Tuesday. The longest interrogation was of accused Avneesh Shukla, from whom investigators reportedly recovered the largest amount of money.

Sources said the accused admitted to siphoning off donations worth crores of rupees and described in detail how the money was allegedly stolen. During the questioning, the name of trustee Dr Anil Mishra reportedly surfaced once again.

Investigators are also probing claims that Anil Mishra played a significant role in the donation counting process. Police separately questioned Champat Rai on Tuesday.

The FIR in the case was eventually registered only last Thursday.

On Friday, police arrested Champat Rai's close aide Tinnu Yadav, counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava, counting staff members Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Karunesh and Avneesh Shukla.

How the alleged theft was carried out

According to investigators, Tinnu Yadav kept one key to the counting room while another was with bank personnel. The accused allegedly worked in collusion and shared the stolen money among themselves.

Investigators said the accused knew the locations of CCTV cameras and devised methods to avoid detection. One person allegedly removed the cash while others surrounded him to block the cameras' view. The money was then hidden in a bathroom and later smuggled out.

Their proximity to senior trust functionaries allegedly helped them avoid scrutiny and security checks.

The SIT and police have also found financial transactions in the bank accounts of the accused that are disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Investigators have reportedly uncovered transactions worth crores of rupees in the accounts of the accused and their family members over the past year. Authorities are now examining houses, plots, hostels and other properties linked to them.

Police have issued notices to Anil Mishra and Gopal, though neither has been questioned so far.

Investigators are also examining documents related to a hostel allegedly owned by Tinnu Yadav to determine how he acquired assets that appear beyond his known income.

Trust Meeting on July 6

A meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is expected on July 6. Earlier, Alok Kumar had said it would be held on July 7, but trust sources said the meeting has now been advanced by a day.

The meeting is expected to discuss the fallout of the donation theft controversy, including demands in some quarters for the resignation of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra.