Police in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, are investigating the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, scrutinizing bank accounts of relatives of the eight arrested accused to establish the money trail behind the alleged diversion of funds. According to police sources, investigators have identified over 50 bank accounts belonging to relatives of the arrested accused and other persons linked to the temple trust.
The probe is focused on tracing the movement of the allegedly siphoned-off donation money and ascertaining whether it was used to acquire assets or fund construction activities. Police are looking into bank transactions, recent investments, and financial records to establish a money trail linking the alleged theft of donations to the purchase of properties and construction work. A clearly-established money trail would provide a stronger legal basis for initiating action against properties allegedly acquired from the proceeds of the crime, including possible demolition proceedings.
The investigators are also looking into recent purchases of immovable assets by the accused and their relatives. Some of the accused had recently purchased land and were constructing houses, and police are verifying whether these investments were financed using money allegedly siphoned off from the temple donations. Additionally, police are likely to seek the custodial remand of two more accused in the case for further interrogation.
The probe has gathered pace since the alleged embezzlement came to light, with the Uttar Pradesh Police arresting eight people, including temple employees associated with the donation-counting process. The investigators have alleged that cash from offerings made by devotees was systematically siphoned off over a period of time by exploiting security and procedural lapses during the counting of donations. Following the detection of the alleged fraud, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has tightened security and overhauled the donation-counting process.
The state government had earlier formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged embezzlement and identify systemic lapses in the handling of temple donations. Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Misra visited Ayodhya on Friday to review the ongoing construction work at the Ram temple complex, his first visit since a meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday.
