Ayodhya Court Grants One-Day Police Custody in Ram Temple Donation Case

An Ayodhya court on Tuesday approved a one-day police custody for three individuals — Karunesh Pandey, Lavkush Mishra, and Anukalp Mishra — who are currently in judicial custody in connection with an alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The court's decision came after police sought a longer seven-day custody to further investigate the missing funds.

The Investigating Officer (IO) argued that custodial interrogation was essential for advancing the probe, a request supported by findings from preliminary police questioning of the detainees. The state's government lawyer presented the case in court, stating that the additional questioning would help uncover more information.

Eight individuals have been named as accused in the First Information Report (FIR) filed regarding the alleged misappropriation of donations. The accused are Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Subhash Chandra Srivastava, Avinash Shukla (listed twice in the original article), and Karunesh Pandey. They face charges including theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the FIR, the accused were responsible for counting cash and valuables donated by devotees at the temple.

Among those arrested are former close aides of Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the temple. The FIR was registered on June 25, 2026, following a preliminary investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The case has drawn attention due to the temple's significance in Indian society. The court's ruling allows police one day to question the accused while ensuring legal procedures are followed. Further developments are expected as the investigation continues.