The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations intensified its investigation on Thursday by questioning former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and two other senior trust functionaries for nearly six hours in Ayodhya.
The developments came as investigators secured the first police custody remand of an accused in the case and indicated that further arrests could follow based on fresh evidence gathered during the ongoing probe.
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According to officials familiar with the investigation, the three-member SIT questioned Champat Rai, trust member Anil Mishra and office-bearer Gopal Rao regarding the administrative and financial systems governing the collection, counting and banking of temple donations.
SIT examines donation handling system
Officials said the investigators revisited multiple aspects of the temple’s donation management mechanism during the marathon questioning session.
The SIT reportedly sought detailed explanations regarding the recruitment of outsourced personnel engaged in cash-counting operations, the memorandum of understanding signed with the State Bank of India (SBI) for cash management and the supervisory responsibilities assigned to various stakeholders.
According to officials, the investigation is focused on determining whether lapses in oversight and monitoring enabled the alleged diversion of devotees’ offerings before they were deposited into designated bank accounts.
Investigators are also examining the role of SBI officials, outsourced agencies responsible for deploying cash-counting personnel and the implementation of standard operating procedures governing the handling of donations.
Officials said the SIT is verifying whether mandatory safeguards, including CCTV surveillance, frisking procedures, deployment protocols and supervisory checks, were adequately implemented.
More arrests likely as probe expands
The developments came shortly after the court of Additional District Judge (Anti-Corruption) Rajat Varma granted a 24-hour police custody remand of accused Avinash Shukla, from whose residence police had earlier recovered ₹20.40 lakh in cash.
Sources familiar with the matter said the police sought Shukla’s custody at the request of the SIT and that further arrests may follow based on information gathered during his interrogation.
So far, eight people have been arrested in the case, including Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Rama Shankar Mishra and Karunesh Pandey.
Last week, police recovered ₹79.85 lakh from the arrested accused, with cash allegedly found concealed in locations including bathrooms and stacks of cow dung cakes.
Political reactions and trust meeting ahead
The controversy also triggered political reactions, with Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya appearing to defend Champat Rai while urging restraint until the investigation concludes.
“The incident is being investigated by the SIT and the police. We should wait for the outcome of the investigation,” Maurya said, according to news agency IANS.
He added that those associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, including Champat Rai, had dedicated themselves to the temple cause and were deeply hurt by the controversy.
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Meanwhile, people familiar with the matter said Champat Rai had told associates that his service in Ayodhya was complete and that he did not wish to carry the “stigma” of the allegations against him.
The future of Rai and former trust member Anil Mishra, who resigned from their positions last week, is expected to be discussed during a meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust scheduled for Monday in Ayodhya.
Probe enters crucial phase
This marks the second major phase of the SIT’s investigation after the Uttar Pradesh government extended its tenure until July 15.
The SIT, which consisted of Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan, carried out investigations in Ayodhya from June 15-June 20 and had submitted a preliminary report to the state government.
The matter came up after it was alleged that between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore was embezzled during the process of collecting and tallying the donations at the Ram Temple.
According to officials, the SIT’s final report, due on July 15, will decide whether the criminal probe is expanded further or not.
FAQS
Q1. Why was Champat Rai being questioned by the SIT?
Champat Rai was questioned about the administration and supervision of Ram Temple donations collection.
Q2. So far how many persons have been arrested in connection with the Ram Temple donations case?
Eight people have been arrested so far, and investigators have indicated that further arrests are possible.
