Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust chief resigns amid donations embezzlement probe

Amid the ongoing political row over alleged irregularities in managing donations for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, Champat Rai, and member trustee Anil Mishra have resigned. Earlier, eight people were arrested in relation to the case.

According to an ANI report quoting sources, the development comes after an FIR was lodged in the embezzlement of donations case under several sections of the BNS, including 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), as per the instructions of the Uttar Pradesh government.

The report further stated that the FIR mentions the names of Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.

What SIT found

A three-member SIT was formed on June 14 to probe the case after former Samajwadi Party MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, alleged that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram temple.

Preliminary investigation by the SIT has reportedly revealed procedural lapses at several stages, along with irregularities in employee verification, shoddy security checking of staff entering and exiting sensitive areas, inadequate CCTV coverage and irregular movement of donations from temple premises to the trust office and to banks.

Also Read: 8 arrested in alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case in Ayodhya

India Today reported that the process of counting donations is also under the scanner, adding that the SIT is looking into records linked to gold, silver, ornaments and other valuables offered by devotees, following alleged discrepancies in the inventory and documentation.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the opposition of attempting to derive political mileage from the case, saying those who had opposed the temple's construction were now questioning its functioning.

Yogi slams Opposition

Addressing a public meeting in Deoria after the first FIR was registered based on the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) preliminary findings, Adityanath said the state government would follow a "zero-tolerance" approach against anyone seeking to undermine public faith. He was speaking at an event to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 106 development projects worth more than Rs 456 crore.

Also Read: 'Embezzlement of donations' at Ram temple: FIR lodged after SIT's preliminary report

Targeting critics over issues concerning Lord Ram and Ayodhya, the Chief Minister claimed they had earlier denied both the deity's existence and the city's significance. "One side used to say that lord Ram doesn't even exist... They kept fighting the case in court continuously," he said, adding that the same people were now alleging "tampering with faith."

‘Truth will be brought to light’

Reaffirming the government's position on the investigation, Adityanath said, "The government's intention is clear..., everything will come before everyone," while urging those making allegations to place any evidence before the SIT instead of issuing political statements.

"The government had stated from day one that the absolute truth would be brought to light," he said, appealing for cooperation with the ongoing probe.