Ram Mandir donation case: Police to seek custody of accused
What's the story
The Uttar Pradesh Police is likely to seek the custody of two key accused in the Ram Temple donation case, Lavkush Mishra and Anukalp Mishra. The police will approach Additional District Judge (Anti-Corruption) Rajat Varma for their custody. This comes as investigators aim to unravel how the alleged theft took place and whether any assets were purchased with the stolen cash.
Ongoing investigation
Police to verify disclosures made by another accused
The police are also set to verify the disclosures made by another accused, Avinash Shukla. Last week, Shukla was taken into custody and interrogated for a day. He was then taken to several locations in Ayodhya, including a hotel where cash was reportedly distributed among the accused. The police also searched his native Pratapgarh district based on information he provided.
Arrests made
Eight people arrested in connection with the case
So far, eight people have been arrested in connection with the case. They include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav "Tinnu," Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Rama Shankar Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey. The police have seized ₹79,85,493 from these accused during their investigations. This includes money recovered from bathrooms and cow dung cakes.
Investigation findings
Systematic diversion of cash during collection and counting
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has found a systematic diversion of cash during collection and counting. They allege that some donations were siphoned off before being deposited into the temple's bank account. This led to the arrest of eight employees involved in handling and counting donations on June 26.
Legal proceedings
FIR filed against 8 accused and others
A first information report (FIR) has been filed against the eight named accused and others under sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These include criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft, and criminal conspiracy. The FIR also includes Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.