The investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple entered a crucial phase on Wednesday as Ayodhya Police subjected the three key accused to intense questioning even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was gearing up for its third visit to the city before submitting its final report to the state government, officers aware of the matter said on Thursday.
Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra and Karunesh Pandey — the three main accused — were confronted with CCTV footage, witness statements, attendance registers, bank records and other documentary evidence to establish their individual roles in the alleged diversion of temple donations and identify other persons who may have been involved, the officers said, adding that based on the disclosures by the accused, fresh searches and recoveries are likely on Thursday.
Investigators said they are scrutinising financial transactions, bank records, property documents, electronic evidence and other evidence to establish alleged money trail and ascertain whether proceeds of the alleged crime were invested in movable or immovable assets.
More arrests not ruled out
While eight accused have already been arrested, investigators did not rule out more arrests if the SIT establishes complicity of more people, including bank employees or others connected with the donation-counting and deposit process.
Besides the culpability of staff involved in handling the donations, the SIT is examining the role of people associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, bank officials and others to expose the larger conspiracy.
The three accused were brought from Ayodhya district jail to the police lines on Wednesday morning and were quizzed in the presence of senior police officers, officers said. Police teams also carried out searches in Milkipur and Inayatnagar, including at locations linked to relatives of Anukalp Mishra.
Adityanath defends Ram Temple Trust
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday defended the Ram Temple Trust and reiterated his allegations against the Opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
Adityanath said that only eight of the nearly 100 people engaged in counting of donation money were suspected of embezzlement.
The controversy first surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that donations worth ₹5 crore to ₹7.5 crore were siphoned off from temple offerings. On June 13, the state government set up an SIT and an FIR was filed in the matter on June 25, leading to the arrest of eight people the following day. The police claimed to have recovered ₹79,85,493 from the accused.
