8 held in Ayodhya Ram temple donation embezzlement case; SIT probe widens

Eight people named in an FIR over the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya have been arrested, police said on Friday, as the investigation into the high-profile case gathered pace.

The arrests follow an FIR lodged on the complaint of Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, based on the preliminary findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the allegations.

Senior officials said all eight accused were arrested in Ayodhya late on Thursday and are being questioned.

"All the accused were in Ayodhya itself and were arrested late Thursday night. Further questioning is underway. Police are preparing to present them before a magistrate," a senior official said.

Those arrested have been identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu. Officials said all were associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the temple.

The FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to theft by a clerk or servant, criminal breach of trust, dishonestly receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy, among other offences.

The controversy first surfaced on 7 June, when allegations of irregularities in the handling of temple donations emerged. Following a request from the Trust, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on 13 June under Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant. The panel submitted its preliminary report on 23 June, recommending criminal action.

Based on those recommendations, an FIR was registered on the night of 25 June, leading to the arrests.

Officials said Subhash Srivastava supervised the cash-counting staff, while the remaining accused were involved in counting cash and valuables or were associated with the process in different capacities.

Among those arrested is Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, a former driver of the Trust's general secretary Champat Rai. Tinnu has denied any involvement in counting donations and claimed the allegations were the result of a conspiracy by "jealous people".

A senior government official said the SIT had made "strong and strict" recommendations in its preliminary report and asserted that chief minister Yogi Adityanath was "very serious" about the matter.

"Anyone found guilty will face stringent action," the official said.

The case has triggered a political storm, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav first raising the issue publicly on 7 June. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also demanded registration of a criminal case.

Opposition leaders, however, have termed the FIR an "eyewash", alleging that it does not fix accountability on senior Trust functionaries, including general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra. Trust officials could not be reached for comment.

With PTI inputs