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    EYE ON INDIA                                                              JULY 17, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    6

                             Ram Temple donation row

                     widens as probe gathers pace,

                  political blame game intensifies

              Recovery of cash, jewellery and other valuables from accused in the Ayodhya donation theft

                           case fuels demands for greater transparency in temple trusts across India

            OUR BUREAU

            Ayodhya / New Delhi
                  he investigation into the al-
                  leged theft of donations from
            Tthe Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
            has gathered momentum, with police
            recovering cash, gold jewellery, a mo-
            bile phone and a car during custodial
            interrogation of three accused, even
            as the controversy triggered fresh po-
            litical attacks and renewed scrutiny of
            temple fund management.
                Police said recoveries were made
            after raids conducted on the basis of
            information allegedly provided by the
            accused -- Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp
            Mishra and Karunesh Pandey -- who
            are currently in police remand. Offi-
            cials said the investigation has yielded   Treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Govind Dev Giri, leaves for the Ram Temple from Vaidehi Bhavan,
            several crucial leads.                                               in Ayodhya on Wednesday (ANI Video Grab)
                According to  investigators, Rs
            20,000 in cash, a gold chain, a mo-   The case has sparked a political   name anyone.                 Jammu and Kashmir, alleged that
            bile phone and a car purchased in   storm in Uttar Pradesh, with oppo-  The BJP has rejected the alle-  corruption had peaked during the
            the name of Anukalp Mishra’s father   sition parties questioning the func-  gations, with Uttar Pradesh minister   pilgrimage season and said only a
            were recovered from Anukalp. The   tioning of the Ram Mandir Trust and   Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary accus-  CBI investigation would uncover the
            vehicle has been seized as part of the   demanding greater accountability.   ing the Samajwadi Party and the Con-  full truth. Responding to the contro-
            investigation.                    Congress MP Imran Masood accused   gress of trying to politicise the issue.   versy, Uttarakhand Chief Minister
                Police further alleged that   the trust of failing to maintain trans-  He said the BJP respected Sanatan   Pushkar Singh Dhami said crimes in-
            Lavkush Mishra had purchased a    parency over donations and called for   traditions and appealed to religious   volving temple offerings were a grave
            gold locket for his wife using money   restructuring its management along   leaders not to become part of what   offence and assured that no guilty
            siphoned from temple donations. The   the lines of the Vaishno Devi Shrine   he termed the opposition’s anti-San-  person would be spared. He said
            gold locket, along with Rs 38,000 in   Board. He alleged that devotees were   atan agenda. Chief Minister Yogi Ad-  a committee had been constituted
            cash, has been recovered. Another   being “looted in the name of faith”   ityanath has repeatedly assured strict   while police had launched a prelim-
            Rs 15,000 in cash was recovered from   and demanded full disclosure of funds   action against anyone found guilty of   inary inquiry.
            Karunesh Pandey.                  received by the temple.           misappropriating temple funds.        A criminal case has also been
                The three accused were taken      Samajwadi Party president Akh-    Meanwhile, the controversy has   registered against Pramod Nautiyal,
            from Ayodhya Jail on Thursday for   ilesh Yadav described the alleged   also drawn attention to allegations of   a  personal  assistant  in  the  office  of
            custodial interrogation after police   theft of temple donations as a “Ma-  financial  irregularities  at  the  Badri-  the chairman of the Badrinath-Ke-
            secured their remand as part of the   hapaap” (great sin) in Sanatan Dhar-  nath temple in Uttarakhand.  darnath Temple Committee (BKTC),
            ongoing investigation.            ma and sought a complete overhaul     The Uttarakhand government    following allegations that temple of-
                A preliminary report submitted   of the temple trust. He questioned   has initiated action following alle-  ferings had been illegally diverted for
            by  the  Special  Investigation  Team   the credibility of the government-ap-  gations of misappropriation of do-  personal gain.
            (SIT) to the Uttar Pradesh govern-  pointed SIT, alleging it was an attempt   nations at Badrinath Dham, while   The FIR, lodged at Badrinath
            ment has found prima facie evidence   at a “whitewash” and claiming one of   some priests have demanded that the   Police Station under provisions of
            of theft and pilferage during the   its members faced fraud charges.  probe be handed over to the Central   the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, accuses
            counting of  donations  at  the Ram   Yadav also alleged that fake do-  Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to en-  Nautiyal of misappropriating temple
            Temple. The SIT continues to investi-  nation receipts had been printed by a   sure transparency.     funds. Investigations in both cases
            gate the alleged irregularities.  senior BJP leader, though he did not   Bhaskar Purohit, a priest from   are continuing.

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