Ram temple theft probe deepens, Trust insider under scanner

The investigation into the alleged theft of donations from the Ayodhya Ram Mandir has gathered pace, with police intensifying the interrogation of key accused Ramshankar Yadav alias 'Tinnu' and his nephew Manish Yadav during a 39-hour custody remand that investigators believe could unravel the alleged conspiracy behind the scandal.

After securing police custody from a local court, investigators took the uncle-nephew duo into custody at around 8 am on Saturday. In a dramatic overnight exercise, the accused were escorted to their residence at around 3 am on Sunday before Ramshankar Yadav was taken to the Ram Janmabhoomi complex as police attempted to reconstruct the sequence of events and verify evidence collected during the probe.

The interrogation, led by investigating officer Ashutosh Tiwari at the Police Lines, has reportedly thrown up crucial leads. According to information emerging during questioning, Ramshankar Yadav allegedly kept the keys to the temple's donation boxes without any official authorisation.

Investigators are also probing the alleged role of a senior member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, who is suspected of unofficially handing over the donation box keys to Tinnu, potentially widening the scope of the investigation beyond the arrested accused.

Police have further learnt that Ramshankar Yadav allegedly enjoyed unrestricted access to the temple complex, entering through multiple gates without prior permission and moving freely in and out of the donation counting area.

The probe has also revealed that Tinnu allegedly facilitated the appointment of his nephew, Manish Yadav, to the temple's donation counting team. Earlier in the investigation, police recovered Rs 2 lakh, allegedly stolen from the temple's donation boxes, from Manish Yadav.

Investigators are also examining Ramshankar Yadav's financial dealings. Police are probing a construction company allegedly floated in his wife's name and allegations that his son secured employment in the Public Works Department by leveraging the family's influence linked to the Ram temple.

Officials said questioning of both accused is continuing, with investigators expecting more disclosures before the custody period ends at 11 pm on Sunday. The duo will then be produced before the court.

With six other accused already questioned, investigators believe the interrogation of Tinnu and Manish Yadav could prove crucial in establishing the alleged conspiracy, tracing the financial trail and identifying the role of each person involved in the alleged donation theft.

With IANS inputs