A Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member has demanded the hanging of those involved in the donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. The primary accused have been jailed, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the matter.
Harsh Punishment Demanded for Perpetrators
Speaking on the progress of the case, Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj confirmed that the primary accused have already been jailed. He assured that the local administration is pursuing the matter with full force and that active efforts are underway to fully recover the embezzled funds. “Those who committed this theft against Ram Lalla should be hanged,” he said.
The statement comes as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrived at the temple premises to deepen its probe into the financial irregularities. The state government recently granted a 15-day extension to the SIT, widening its scope to ensure a comprehensive inquiry into the entire network involved.
SIT Probe Deepens Amidst Accused’s Family’s Plea
Amid the intensifying crackdown, structural nuances within the investigation have begun to emerge. Sadhana Mishra, the sister-in-law of the accused Ramashankar Mishra, broke her silence to maintain his innocence. Demanding an unbiased evaluation of the facts, she stated, “The guilty should be punished, and the innocent should be released. That is our demand.”
Theft Triggers Political Firestorm
The alleged theft has triggered a massive political showdown in Uttar Pradesh, drawing sharp responses from both the ruling alliance and the opposition. Dismissing opposition attacks, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC strongly defended the temple administration, stating that the temple remains a sacred symbol of faith rather than a commercial entity. “What people have donated is in the public domain. Any trust’s audits are conducted and are in the public domain. When theft happens, comment on the theft, not on the Ram Mandir,” she told ANI.
Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, termed the incident “surprising” and launched a direct assault on the state’s security claims. He argued that despite the government’s repeated assertions of eliminating thieves, dacoits, and the mafia, it failed to safeguard the offerings at the country’s most high-profile temple.
Opposition Demands Supreme Court-Monitored Probe
Senior Congress leader and AICC spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore demanded an independent investigation monitored directly by the Supreme Court. Rathore alleged that an impartial probe is impossible under the state government because it is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Prime Accused in Custody as Probe Widens
The SIT is currently scanning bank transactions, local security footage, and internal donation registries at the temple to trace how the funds were siphoned off. Meanwhile, a team of the Ayodhya Police has taken the prime accused, Avinash Shukla, out of the Ayodhya District Jail after securing a 24-hour custodial remand from a local court.
Later in the day, following a series of extensive field searches, the police team escorted Shukla back to the district jail premises. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) and local police sought Shukla’s physical custody to reconstruct the sophisticated modus operandi of the theft and to recover more siphoned funds. The SIT is currently scanning bank transactions, local security footage, and internal donation registries at the temple to trace how the funds were siphoned off.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)