SIT investigation intensified in Ayodhya Ram temple donation misappropriation case, suspicion of theft of Rs 6-8 lakh daily, questions on SBI employees, investigation of secret money trail and insider collusion continues.
Ayodhya: A sensational revelation has come from Ayodhya Dham, the largest center of faith, which has shocked the entire country. As the layers of huge fraud in donations offered by devotees with devotion in the grand temple of Lord Shri Ram are being revealed, even the investigators are surprised to see the size of the scam. In the investigation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), it has become clear that this was not a small theft, but a well-planned and organized robbery. Now the heat of this case has reached the top of the temple trust, due to which this entire incident has turned into a high-profile crime thriller.
Mystery of 16 Lakh to 26 Lakh: Figures revealed a horrifying secret
This mega scam was exposed when a strange jump was seen in the donation figures. The testimony given by the bank officials interrogated by the SIT was shocking. He said that before this big theft was detected, an average of Rs 16 to 18 lakh cash donations were deposited in the accounts of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust every day. But, as soon as this fraud was exposed and investigation started, this donation amount suddenly increased to Rs 24 to 26 lakhs daily. The mathematics of these figures is simple and horrifying – investigators estimate that this gang of vicious thieves was laundering Rs 6 to 8 lakh from the offerings of devotees every day.
“God is watching…” The jewel robbery and that sensational conversation
The most surprising aspect of this scam was its fearless nature. No systematic record was ever kept of the gold and silver ornaments offered in the temple, which made it even easier to steal them. Investigation revealed that the first clue of the theft was found in February this year. When a member of the cash counting team interrupted the counting in-charge and retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava that money was being openly stolen at the counter, Srivastava’s reply was heart-wrenching. He said very coolly, “God is watching, it is not like he is leaving your house or mine.” Subhash Srivastava is now among the eight main accused who have been sent behind bars.
That secret park of Bhikhapur: where a fair of ‘loot money’ was held
Accused Avinash Shukla, who is in SIT custody, has revealed another deep secret. He confessed that the lakhs of rupees stolen from the donation boxes did not go to any bank or safe, but were taken to a park near the temple every day. 14 All the accused used to gather in this deserted park located near Bhikhapur on Kosi Parikrama route and divide the stolen money among themselves. On Friday, the police team had taken the accused to the same park to recreate the crime scene.
‘Nexus’ of bank and private agency: Big officials on radar
State Bank of India (SBI) has the entire responsibility of counting cash donations in Ram Temple. For this, a team of 14 people was formed, of which 11 were bank employees and 3 were trust members. But keeping the rules in mind, people from a private security agency were deployed for the very sensitive work of counting cash. SIT is now investigating in depth why changes were made in the original agreement between the trust and the bank. If anyone suspected foul play, why was it not reported to senior officials? Considering the seriousness of the matter, Ayodhya Police is now going to write a letter to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to trace the money trail.
Resignation of three including Champat Rai: Now the turn of property and commission!
The biggest shock of this entire matter came when after serious allegations, General Secretary Champat Rai, Trustees Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust resigned from their posts. For the second time on Friday, the SIT interrogated these three in a closed room. Now the needle of investigation has focused on their personal movable and immovable assets and sources of income. SIT has asked for documents of their properties from the three former officers. Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao are being specifically questioned as to how their wealth has increased so suddenly in the last few years. Along with this, allegations of giving commission and undue benefits to some specific people during the construction of the temple and purchase of land are also being thoroughly investigated. SIT is now preparing to re-audit the annual audit report of the trust.