An FIR has been lodged after claims of theft of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, leading to the arrest of two individuals. The FIR lists eight suspects, including six temple staff responsible for handling cash. The complaint was initiated by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, as directed by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra have been apprehended, while efforts are ongoing to locate the other accused, such as Ramshankar Yadav, who serves as the driver for Trust General Secretary Champat Rai. The remaining suspects include Avinash Shukla, Ramshankar Mishra, Manish Yadav, Subhash Chandra Srivastava, and Karunesh Pandey. Allegedly, all eight were captured on CCTV footage engaging in financial misconduct.
The FIR has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61, and 3(5). Despite the allegations, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has refuted any financial wrongdoing and has requested a fair and unbiased investigation.
This development transpired shortly after the submission of a preliminary inquiry report by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Uttar Pradesh government. The report was presented to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant. In response, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was established by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The SIT, during its investigation, interrogated several individuals, including Trust General Secretary Champat Rai. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed that the SIT’s inquiry would bring clarity to the situation and urged individuals with evidence to present it to the SIT. With the registration of the FIR and the submission of new documents to the SIT, the investigation into the sensitive matter of donations to the Ram Temple has entered a more rigorous phase.
