SBI wanted Ram mandir cash-counting staff replaced months before alleged donation scam: Report
The alleged donation embezzlement case linked to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has taken a fresh turn, with sources in the State Bank of India
The alleged donation embezzlement case linked to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has taken a fresh turn, with sources in the State Bank of India (SBI) claiming that the bank had sought the replacement of the temple's cash-counting staff nearly three months before the alleged irregularities came to light. According to the sources, SBI suspected that money was being siphoned from the temple's donation boxes and recommended replacing the employees responsible for counting the daily collections. The bank's proposal, however, was allegedly stalled after members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust intervened, allowing the workers to continue, the sources claimed. Earlier, Hindustan Times reported that the outsourcing agency engaged by SBI had initiated the replacement process after the bank flagged its concerns. The move was allegedly halted following intervention by Trust officials. The cash-counting staff had reportedly been hired through an outsourcing agency on monthly salaries ranging between ₹12,000 and ₹15,000. Also Read | Sanjay Singh submits documents on alleged Ram temple land irregularities to SIT Senior SBI officials also told Hindustan Times that several people associated with the temple's management, though not members of the Trust, had questioned why outsourced workers, rather than permanent bank employees, were being assigned to count the temple's daily donations.
Congress Targets Trust The latest claims have intensified the political row surrounding the case. Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that SBI had recommended replacing the cash-counting staff months before the alleged irregularities surfaced. "Three months ago, the SBI had recommended that those posted at the counting centre be removed. Who has been protecting them? Nagpur or Delhi?" Khera said while speaking to reporters in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. He also said, "Ayodhya ki loot jhanki hai, Kashi-Mathura abhi baki hai (the alleged loot in Ayodhya is only a glimpse, Kashi and Mathura are yet to come)." Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also criticised the government, saying, "Defeat this Government, Ram ko loota, Desh ko loota, Achhe Din ka nara jhootha" (They looted Lord Ram, they looted the country, and the promise of 'Achhe Din' was false). He further added, "Aise shasan ko tordein ge; Mil ke Desh ko jordein ge; Na dilon ka ho ga batwara; Sab ka Desh hai Desh hamara" (We will bring down such a government; together we will unite the country; there will be no division of hearts; this nation belongs to everyone).
What The Investigation Has Found So Far The controversy escalated after a Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, conducted a preliminary inquiry into the handling of cash donations and valuables at the temple. Based on the SIT's findings, police registered an FIR on June 25. Eight people have since been arrested: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav. Investigators have identified Tinnu Yadav as the alleged kingpin, alleging that he arranged for his relative, Manish Kumar Yadav, to secure a job in the temple's cash-counting unit. Tinnu Yadav had also worked as the driver of Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Police say they have recovered nearly ₹80 lakh in cash and some foreign currency from six of the eight accused. Opposition parties have alleged that donations worth over ₹200 crore were siphoned off by those managing the Trust.
The BriefWire