Ram Temple Donations: Police Probe Reveals Rs 6-8 Lakh Allegedly Stolen Daily
The investigation into alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has progressed, with investigators now estimating the daily amount stolen. Sources say bank officials questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) have provided an estimate based on donation trends before and after the case surfaced.
Bank staff told the SIT that prior to the theft being discovered, daily donations to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's accounts averaged Rs 16-18 lakh. After the case emerged, donations rose to Rs 24-26 lakh per day. Based on these figures, investigators estimate that Rs 6-8 lakh may have been siphoned off daily.
The counting of cash donations at the temple is supervised by the State Bank of India (SBI), which has contracted a private agency for the task. Cash offerings are collected in four donation boxes and counted by a team of 14 people, including 11 bank staff and three trust representatives. The role of some SBI employees is under scrutiny. Ayodhya Police will also approach the Enforcement Directorate to trace the money trail.
Retired bank employee and accused Subhash Srivastava, who oversaw the counting process, was responsible for moving cash from the donation boxes to the counting room and then to SBI. Sources said there was no systematic record of jewellery offerings, making theft easier.
The theft first came to light in February when a counting team member informed Srivastava that money was being stolen. Srivastava allegedly replied, 'God is watching, it's not as if it's going from your or my house.' Srivastava is among eight accused arrested so far: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Tinnu Yadav, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, and Ramashankar Mishra.
The SIT also questioned bank staff involved in counting on Friday, asking why the agreement between the trust and the bank was not fully followed, why deviations from prescribed procedure were made, and why any irregularities were not reported to senior officials. Bank officials were also asked why a private security agency was handling sensitive tasks like cash counting. The SIT will submit a report on bank personnel's role, and action may follow.
Separately, accused Avinash Shukla told police that stolen money was divided among accomplices at a park near the temple. Investigators took the accused to the park near Bhikapur on the 14 Koshi Parikrama route.
The SIT questioned trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustees Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao for a second time on Friday. All three have resigned from their posts. They were reportedly questioned about their personal assets and income sources, with the SIT seeking detailed documentation. The SIT is also examining allegations of commission during temple construction and land purchases, and of undue benefits to certain individuals, with Mishra and Rao specifically questioned on these matters. The investigation is ongoing.
