 "Ram Mandir donation theft case: Meet the 8 accused and what police found with them")
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Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh): The investigation into the alleged theft and misappropriation of donations at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir has brought eight people into police custody, including temple staff members, security personnel and those associated with the cash counting process. The case has brought to the fore serious lapses in the handling donations made by devotees at one of India’s most visited religious sites.
The accused were booked after a complaint was filed by Ram Mandir Trust member Krishna Mohan. The police questioned the eight accused before sending them to judicial custody. They are Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Karunesh Pandey, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla and Ram Shankar Mishra.
Among them, 27-year-old Ram Shankar Mishra was associated with the temple’s donation counting process. His family lives at Ram Sakha Bagiya, a temple belonging to the Sakha sect in Ayodhya’s Rani Bagh area.
His father, Chhaddu Lal Mishra, is a priest who performs kirtan (devotional singing) at the old Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya. The family has distanced itself from the allegations, with only Ram Shankar’s sister-in-law Sadhna Mishra agreeing to speak to the media.
She said Ram Shankar had been living separately for the last three years because the family house had only one room. “His job began around six years ago. Before that, he worked with cameras. When he got the job of counting currency notes at the temple, he earned around Rs 16,000-17,000 from there, while camera work gave him Rs 4,000-5,000. That was his income," she said.
She added, "I can swear that till today neither we nor his father ever took money from him. His father always told him to earn, eat and save his own money."
The family claims Ram Shankar is innocent and says lower-level employees are being targeted. However, the police say that CCTV footage from the temple’s counting room showed him allegedly taking money and that it led to his arrest.
According to the police recovery documents, Ram Shankar admitted during questioning that he had taken money but claimed that he later returned it to the trust. The police said Rs 7,32,170 in cash and some jewellery were recovered from a locker where the money was kept.
The name that has received the most attention in the case is Ram Shankar Yadav aka Tinnu Yadav. Local residents and journalists in Ayodhya describe him as one of the most influential persons involved in the temple’s management.
Describing his influence, they said, “After Anil Mishra, Champat Rai and Gopal Rao, Tinnu’s influence was visible across the entire campus. This was not from today, it had been there since the consecration ceremony. Whoever Tinnu wanted could come in, whoever he wanted could be removed. He used to carry a walkie-talkie and give instructions from there to the counting staff as well as private security. Tinnu was that influential."
His family lives in Ayodhya’s Swarg Dwar area. According to claims made about him, he earlier worked as a driver for Champat Rai and later became involved in managing temple donations.
His family has not responded to questions about the case. Tinnu, his wife Poonam Yadav and his brother have earlier told the media that the allegations against him are baseless.
However, former trust accounts officer Mahipal Singh accused Tinnu of interfering after he raised objections over alleged irregularities.
"I was in charge there. When I found irregularities in counting and complained to Gopal Rao and Champat Rai, Tinnu threatened me the next day. All CCTV footage was deleted and Anil Mishra replaced me with someone else," Singh claimed.
Another accused is Subhash Srivastava, a retired Canara Bank cashier who voluntarily worked as the head of the cash counting team.
His responsibility included taking cash collected from donation boxes to the counting room, supervising the counting process and handing over the amount to the State Bank of India.
The police have accused him of negligence and alleged involvement in the alleged theft.
The rest six accused were appointed through Varanasi-based private company Sainik Security Services Private Limited.
Company director Gaurav Singh said, "We provided a total of 22 employees as per the requirement of the State Bank of India. Details about who they were, when they joined and their salaries are with the SBI. Whatever information we had, we have given it to the SIT (Special Investigation Team, which is probing into the case). I cannot speak further on this matter."
Four of the eight accused are related to each other. Manish Yadav is Tinnu Yadav’s nephew, while Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra are related through marriage. Their appointments are also being examined as part of the probe.
The police and the SIT are also looking into the assets and income sources of the accused.
Anukalp Mishra was working at the temple, while Lavkush Mishra’s family says he had recently joined.
The police claim that during searches on June 26, they found Rs 16.82 lakh based on information provided by Anukalp Mishra and Rs 14.25 lakh based on information provided by Lavkush Mishra. Both allegedly said they had returned the money to the trust.
The police also claim that more than Rs 20 lakh in cash, foreign currency and gold jewellery were recovered on the basis of information provided by Avinash Shukla. Around Rs 18 lakh was allegedly recovered from Karunesh Pandey.
A resident of Pratapgarh, Avinash had moved to Ayodhya around a year ago but his family, according to his father, did not know what work he was doing there.
The investigation has also led to political criticism, with Opposition parties alleging that action is limited to lower-level employees.
Some residents in Ayodhya have also questioned why responsibility should not extend to senior officials involved in overseeing the system.
The Faizabad Bar Association has submitted a complaint seeking an FIR against Ram Mandir Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and members Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao. The association has also passed a resolution saying no lawyer of the bar will represent the eight accused.
Police sources said more arrests could follow. "More people may be arrested in the coming days. The scope of the investigation may also expand. At present, eight accused have been identified in the alleged theft and misappropriation case, and police are questioning them," he said.
The SIT report and documents submitted before the court will determine whether the case is limited to the eight accused or whether investigators find responsibility among others involved in managing the donation system.
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