Ram Temple Donation Theft Probe Widens; Lucknow Properties Of Accused, Kin Under Scanner

Lucknow: The investigation into the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has widened, with authorities now scrutinising properties allegedly purchased in Lucknow by the accused and their family members using suspected proceeds of the crime.

Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Gaurav Grover has written to Lucknow District Magistrate Vishakh G, seeking details of agricultural, non agricultural, commercial and residential properties registered in the names of the eight accused and 46 of their relatives.

Officials familiar with the investigation said the move is aimed at identifying assets acquired over the past two years and determining whether they were purchased using money allegedly siphoned from temple donations.

Following the request, the Lucknow district administration has directed the Municipal Corporation, Awas Vikas Parishad and the Revenue Department to prepare and submit a comprehensive report at the earliest. Revenue officials across all five tehsils of the state capital have begun examining property registration records to trace land and real estate transactions linked to the accused and their relatives.

Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari, who is leading the investigation into the donation theft case, has sought details of both movable and immovable assets acquired by the accused during the past two years. Investigators believe the information will be crucial in establishing the money trail and identifying assets allegedly purchased with misappropriated funds.

According to official records sought by the police, the property search includes not only the eight accused but also their close family members. In the case of accused Avinash Shukla, details of properties registered in the names of his father, four brothers, nephew and niece have been sought. Similar information has been requested for the family members of the other accused, including Anukalp, Karunesh Pandey, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Ramshankar Yadav and Subhash Srivastava.

Sources said that once the Lucknow administration submits its report, Ayodhya Police is expected to share the findings with the Income Tax Department. The tax authorities are likely to examine whether the assets are disproportionate to the known sources of income of the accused. If irregularities are established, proceedings under laws relating to disproportionate assets may also be initiated.

The police are awaiting the detailed report from the Lucknow administration before taking the next course of action. A criminal case in connection with the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Temple has already been registered at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya, and the investigation is continuing.