Ayodhya Ram Temple donation scam deepens with ₹15 lakh money trail, cash gifts under scanner
The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations from the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya has uncovered fresh financial leads, with police examining transactions linked to one of the key accused, Avinash Shukla, that exceeded ₹15 lakh, media reports said.
According to investigators, Shukla transferred money to several individuals and also made cash payments to others.
Police are now probing whether these transactions were funded through the alleged siphoning of temple donations.
Cash gifts, mobile phone under investigation
The investigation has also revealed that Shukla allegedly gifted around ₹2 lakh in cash and an expensive mobile phone to a woman friend, NDTV reported.
Authorities are examining whether these gifts were purchased using misappropriated funds.
Police said Shukla's brother, Abhishek, had frequently noticed him carrying large amounts of cash to a yoga centre after completing his work shift.
When questioned about the source of the money, Shukla reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
According to police, when Abhishek later asked another accused, Anukalp, about the cash, he was allegedly told that devotees voluntarily gave money out of happiness and also paid for assistance during darshan.
Investigators said Anukalp also warned Abhishek not to raise the issue again.
Police are currently verifying these claims as part of the ongoing probe.
SIT expands probe
On July 3, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged embezzlement visited the Ram Temple premises to collect additional evidence.
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier granted the SIT a 15-day extension on July 1 to broaden the scope of its inquiry and conduct a comprehensive investigation into all aspects of the case.
An FIR was registered on June 25 after the SIT submitted its preliminary report on June 23. So far, eight accused have been arrested in connection with the case.
Political fallout
Following the arrests, Champat Rai and former temple trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility for the alleged irregularities.
The controversy has triggered a political storm in Uttar Pradesh, with the Opposition accusing the BJP government of failing to safeguard donations made by devotees.
Defending the government's response, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said the investigation was being conducted transparently.
"The chief minister has ordered an SIT investigation. The SIT investigation is underway, and a transparent investigation is being conducted. People should wait and have faith," Sharma told ANI.
State Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad also defended the government's handling of the case, saying the current administration was allowing a fair investigation instead of concealing corruption.
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