SIT Identifies Ram Temple Employee Avinash Shukla as Prime Accused in Donation Theft Case
Investigators say the case led to 8 arrests and recoveries of more than Rs 79 lakh, while the trust has tightened security and ordered fresh audits.
- On Wednesday, a preliminary Special Investigation Team report identified Avinash Shukla as the prime accused in the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case, linking him to a suspected 40-day racket involving nearly 70 instances of pilferage.
- CCTV footage allegedly showed Shukla and others concealing cash bundles during counting operations, which investigators used to trace money movement, according to the nine-page report submitted to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary-Home Sanjay Prasad on June 23.
- During searches, police recovered Rs 20.39 lakh, $1,121, and an SUV from Shukla's possession, finding his banking activity far exceeded his monthly salary of a little over Rs 15,000.
- Authorities have arrested eight people in connection with the case, with Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey receiving a one-day police remand on Monday following fresh evidence.
- The SIT has flagged procedural lapses in the donation management system, including poor CCTV monitoring, prompting the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to strengthen security and cooperate with an ongoing account re-audit.
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Ayodhya Ram Mandir Donation Row Reaches Supreme Court; Plea Seeks CBI Probe
<p class="isSelectedEnd">The alleged theft of devotees' donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has now reached the Supreme Court, with a petition seeking a court-monitored investigation into the case.</p> <p class="isSelectedEnd">According to the petition, the matter should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) should be constituted to conduct an impartial probe into the allegations.<…
In Chitrakoot, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while targeting the opposition, said that evidence has been found against only eight out of 150 people in the Ram Temple donation theft case. He clarified that it is wrong to defame the entire trust or Ayodhya and politicize the mistakes of a few individuals.
From fake donation receipts to stolen offerings, Ayodhya Temple probe uncovers fresh fraud
The alleged racket involved several accused, including Tinnu Yadav, Lav Kush Mishra, Karunesh Pandey and Anukalp Mishra, along with others who have already been arrested. Authorities are now verifying the authenticity and origin of the recovered receipts to determine the scale of the alleged fraud.
SIT probe names Avinash Shukla as prime accused in Ram Temple donation theft case
A preliminary SIT report names Avinash Shukla as the central accused in the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations in Ayodhya. The probe has widened into financial trails, re-audits and scrutiny of security lapses in the counting system.
SIT identifies Ram Temple employee Avinash Shukla as prime accused in donation theft case
Repeated examination of CCTV camera footage allegedly showed Avinash Shukla removing and concealing bundles of donation cash and loose currency notes during counting operations on multiple occasions.
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