New Delhi (India) June 26: All eight individuals, listed as accused in the First Information Report (FIR) in the case of alleged embezzlement of funds received at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, have been arrested and produced in judicial custody until June 29.

Prosecution Officer K.C. Verma said, “At the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, devotees donated money to the donation boxes. The money was allegedly embezzled and stolen by employees of the trust.” 

“The eight accused will be produced before the Special Court dealing with corruption-related matters on Monday. A total of ₹79.85 lakhs has been recovered from them,” he added.

All Eight Arrested in Ram Mandir Scam

The accused, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Subhash Chandra Srivastava, Avinash Shukla and Karunesh Pandey, have been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. 

According to the FIR registered on the complaint of the trustee, these were the individuals entrusted with the counting of cash and other valuables donated at the Ram Mandir.

Yogi Says SIT Report Led to Swift Action

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the controversy while addressing the crowd at a public meeting in Deoria, stating that the government had acted against the accused in the case of the temple donation scandal as soon as the SIT (Special Investigation Team) submitted its report. 

"I was on a visit to Ayodhya on June 19. Even then, I had said that Ayodhya is a symbol of our unity, a symbol of the unity of India's Sanatan Dharma. Do not cast aspersions on Ayodhya; learn to follow the dignity of Lord Ram," he said.

"Regarding the news that was coming about Ayodhya, we had said that an SIT had been formed, and our action would begin as soon as the SIT report came. As soon as the SIT report came, action began," he added

Resignation Rumours Create Uncertainty

Meanwhile, day-long confusion surrounded rumours of the resignations of General Secretary of Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Champat Rai, and trustee Dr Anil Mishra, in the midst of the controversy. 

Neither the Temple Trust nor the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) either confirmed or denied the reports, saying that they had no information of the resignations. The reports stated that both Champat Rai and Dr Anil Mishra had given their resignations on moral grounds so that a fair and independent investigation could take place. 

Investigation Examines Donation Records

A number of reports claimed that donations were being mismanaged at the Ram Temple. The government subsequently formed a three-member SIT on June 13th and initiated a probe into discrepancies in the management of the temple’s offerings. 

Sources suggested that the SIT’s investigation found shortcomings in the process, such as employees not being thoroughly verified or monitored as they entered and exited vulnerable areas. CCTV footage was found to be weak in key locations, and the movement of funds was not managed efficiently or transparently from the temple site to the trust office and finally to the banks. Investigators were also checking documents related to the gold, silver, and jewellery donated by devotees due to noticeable discrepancies.