Ram Temple theft case: Rs 58 lakh recovered before FIR was filed, say sources
Fresh details have emerged in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case, with sources claiming that nearly Rs 58 lakh was recovered from an accused's
Fresh details have emerged in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case, with sources claiming that nearly Rs 58 lakh was recovered from an accused's residence before a formal FIR was registered in the matter. According to sources, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust first received information about the misappropriation of donations on June 4. Following an internal verification, Trust officials moved swiftly to trace the money. Read Full Story Sources said that on June 5, representatives of the Trust, acting on the instructions of then General Secretary Champat Rai, accompanied police personnel to the residence of accused Avinash Shukla. During the visit, nearly Rs 58 lakh was allegedly recovered. The development is significant because the recovery predates the registration of a formal complaint, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Sources further claimed that between June 5 and June 8, the remaining amount was returned by the accused through bank transfers. The sequence suggests that efforts to recover the allegedly embezzled money had already begun before the matter formally entered the legal process. According to sources, the timeline unfolded as follows June 4: Information about the alleged theft reaches the Trust.
June 5: Trust officials and police visit an accused's residence; nearly Rs 58 lakh is recovered. June 5-8: Remaining amount is returned through bank transfers. June 7: Allegations of donation theft enter the public domain. Subsequently, formal legal proceedings began and the investigation expanded. The timeline is now emerging as a key focus of the probe, with agencies examining why recoveries allegedly began before the registration of a formal complaint and whether any procedural lapses occurred during the initial handling of the case. The latest revelations build on details that surfaced earlier regarding the Trust's knowledge of the alleged theft before it became public. India Today TV had previously reported that Trust officials and police had reached the residence of one of the accused on June 5, days before the controversy erupted in the public domain. CCTV footage linked to the operation later surfaced, showing Avinash Shukla being escorted by police personnel while carrying a black bag believed to contain the recovered cash. The authenticity of the CCTV footage and the claims surrounding the sequence of events have not been independently verified.
ARRESTS, RESIGNATIONS AND SIT PROBE The alleged donation theft first came into public focus on June 7 after claims surfaced that offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple had been misappropriated. As the controversy escalated, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13 following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The probe eventually led to the arrest of eight accused in the case. Police later carried out simultaneous raids at their residences and recovered money allegedly linked to the suspected embezzlement. The accused were subsequently sent to judicial custody, while investigators continued to pursue the money trail and examine the larger conspiracy angle. The controversy also triggered a shake-up within the Trust. Champat Rai, who served as General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and trustee Anil Mishra stepped down amid growing scrutiny surrounding the case. Their exits came as the SIT probe widened and questions mounted over the handling of donations and oversight mechanisms. According to sources, the SIT probe has uncovered multiple alleged lapses in cash handling, employee verification and CCTV monitoring systems.
The BriefWire