Punjab Newsline | Ayodhya(UP)
Eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple have been remanded to three days of judicial custody after being produced before a Faizabad court on Friday.
The arrests were made following the submission of a preliminary report by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which prompted the registration of an FIR at Ayodhya Kotwali Police Station on Thursday. The complaint was filed by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The accused, including Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Trust employee Anukalp Mishra, his brother-in-law Lavkush Mishra, Manish Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Avinash Shukla, and retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava, were presented before Special Remand Magistrate Nivedita Singh. Owing to the Muharram court holiday schedule, police did not seek custodial remand at this stage.
Officials said the accused will be produced before the court again on Monday, when investigators are expected to request police custody for further interrogation.
The investigation is being led by Circle Officer Ashutosh Tripathi. After the three-day judicial custody period, the accused are likely to be produced before the Anti-Corruption Court, where police will seek remand to question them about the alleged theft.
According to investigators, the SIT's preliminary report indicates that the role of each accused is being examined at different levels. Ram Shankar Yadav, popularly known as Tinnu, has emerged as a key figure in the case due to his alleged close links with influential individuals associated with the Trust.
Police are also expanding the probe to identify others who may have assisted the accused. Investigators will examine how counting staff were recruited, whether any recommendations influenced the appointments, and what role, if any, bank officials and employees played in the donation counting process. Authorities said the investigation aims to uncover the entire network behind the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.
