Police raid homes of eight held in Ayodhya Ram Temple donation case

POlice on lord's day forenoon conducted simultaneous raids at the residences of all octonary people arrested amid allegations of irregularities in the assemblage of donations for the ram down Temple, which have snowballed into a major controversy, triggering political slugfests, police action and calls for accountability.Meanwhile, the Ram Temple trust on Saturday confirmed that its general secretary, Champat Rai, and member Anil Mishra have tendered their resignations.The controversy first surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that donations worth ₹5 crore to ₹7.5 crore were siphoned off from temple offerings.Also Read | Role of ‘Mittals’ surfaces in Siya-Ketan matchmaking amid Pune murder case probe: ‘Never expected she could do this’On June 13, the state government set up the SIT at the request of the temple trust. The panel conducted a preliminary inquiry in Ayodhya between June 15 and 20 and flagged prima facie irregularities in the handling of cash and valuables offered by devotees.An FIR was registered against the eight named accused and other unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.Those arrested were identified as Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, a close aide of Rai; Avinash Shukla; Anukalp Mishra; Lavkush Mishra; Subhash Srivastava; Ramashankar Mishra; Manish Yadav; and Karunesh Pandey. Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra are related to each other and also to Anil Mishra.Police teams reached the houses of the accused at around 7 am and began extensive searches and questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.According to officers, six police teams carried out the coordinated operation simultaneously at different locations linked to the accused. Investigators questioned family members regarding the activities, financial transactions and possible associates of the accused. They also interacted with neighbours to gather information about the arrestees, their movements, visitors and any suspicious activities that could assist the investigation.Also Read | Explosions, 90-minute gun battle: How Karachi terror attack that killed 4 Pakistani soldiers unfoldedThe eight accused are currently in judicial custody.Investigators are examining whether additional persons were involved in the alleged conspiracy and are collecting further evidence to strengthen the case.Seeking to reassure devotees, the trust said it remained committed to ensuring a fair and transparent investigation. “We are shocked, hurt and deeply saddened by the incidents reported over the past few days… We assure everyone that we will take measures to prevent any such unfortunate situation from arising in the future,” it said.It urged people not to be swayed by “rumours or misinformation” and clarified that the sanctity of the temple remained intact.“We assure everyone that no irreparable damage has occurred to the sanctity of the temple. We request all devotees not to be misled by rumours, misinformation or false propaganda. Such attempts cannot shake Sanatan Dharma, the temple or the faith of millions of devotees,” the statement said.