Ayodhya, June 26 — The controversy over alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya escalated sharply this week, as Uttar Pradesh Police arrested all eight people named in the first FIR registered in the case, and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s General Secretary, Champat Rai, resigned from his post citing moral responsibility.
The arrests, made late Thursday night, came within hours of the FIR being lodged on the recommendation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing irregularities in the handling of cash and valuables offered by devotees at the temple. The development has triggered a major political storm, with opposition leaders branding the police action an “eyewash” that targets junior staff while shielding senior functionaries.
The Arrests
All eight individuals named in the FIR have been taken into custody and are being questioned, senior police officials confirmed. Investigators say each of the accused was associated, in different capacities, with the process of counting, handling, or processing the cash and valuables collected as offerings at the temple.
The accused named in the FIR are:
- Avinash Shukla
- Anukalp Mishra
- Lavkush Mishra
- Manish Kumar Yadav
- Karunesh Pandey
- Ramashankar Mishra
- Subhash Srivastava
- Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu
Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover told PTI that the accused were in police custody and would be produced before a magistrate after preliminary questioning. According to officials, all eight were located within Ayodhya and were picked up for questioning before legal formalities, including arrest memos, were completed.
Subhash Chandra Srivastava was reportedly in charge of the cash-counting staff. Among the more prominent names is Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu, said to be a former driver of Trust General Secretary Champat Rai. Tinnu has denied any involvement in cash counting, attributing the allegations against him to “jealous people.”
The Charges
The accused have been booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 305, 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), along with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The charges broadly cover theft, criminal breach of trust, receiving or concealing stolen property, criminal conspiracy, and acts committed in furtherance of a common intention.
How the Case Unfolded
The matter first gained national attention on June 7, when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav cited reports alleging that crores of rupees in donations had gone missing, and called on the courts to take cognisance. The names of some of the accused had been circulating on social media since then, as the issue snowballed into a political flashpoint. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also pressed for the registration of a criminal case.
In response, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on June 13, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, to investigate the allegations. After the SIT submitted what officials described as a preliminary report with “strong and strict” recommendations earlier this week, the FIR was lodged at the instance of Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Resignations at the Top
In a significant development on Friday, Trust General Secretary Champat Rai resigned from his post, citing moral responsibility amid the ongoing probe. Trustee Anil Mishra also tendered his resignation. Attempts by PTI to reach both officials for comment were unsuccessful.
The resignations come even as opposition leaders argue that the FIR fails to fix accountability on senior Trust figures, including Rai and Mishra.
CM Yogi Adityanath Promises Action
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said action against those accused began immediately after the SIT submitted its report, asserting that the guilty would not be spared.
Addressing a public meeting in Deoria, he reiterated his warning against hurting public faith. “Ayodhya is a symbol of the faith of all of us and of Sanatan Dharma. Do not cast an evil eye on Ayodhya,” he said, recalling his earlier remarks in Ayodhya on June 19. He added that the SIT report had arrived and action had started immediately, vowing to “separate truth from falsehood” and warning that no one tampering with public sentiment would be given any exemption.
Opposition Calls FIR a ‘Sham’
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal described the FIR as a “sham,” claiming only junior employees had been targeted while “bigger people” were being protected. Speaking after offering prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple, accompanied by AAP Rajya Sabha MP and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Sanjay Singh, the former Delhi Chief Minister said he had prayed that whoever was guilty of this “maha paap” (grave sin) should receive the strictest punishment.
Kejriwal argued that the scam had been running for a long time and that junior employees alone could not have carried it out, alleging that “the links of this scam go much higher up” while an attempt was being made to shield those at the top.
What Lies Ahead
With all eight accused in custody and the Trust’s top leadership shaken by resignations, attention now turns to the SIT’s full investigation and whether it will widen the net beyond the staff currently named. The Chief Minister’s assurance of strict action, combined with opposition demands for accountability at senior levels, sets the stage for continued scrutiny of how donations at one of the country’s most prominent temples were managed.
(Inputs from PTI and news agency reports.)
