Ram Temple Donation Row: Cops May Seek ED Probe, Champat Rai Quizzed For 2 Hours
Ram Temple Donation Row: Cops May Seek ED Probe, Champat Rai Quizzed For 2 Hours Published By, Last Updated: July 01, 2026, 19:46 IST According
Ram Temple Donation Row: Cops May Seek ED Probe, Champat Rai Quizzed For 2 Hours Published By, Last Updated: July 01, 2026, 19:46 IST According to sources, raids conducted by investigating agencies have led to the recovery of around Rs 62 lakh allegedly linked to the suspected diversion of temple donations. Rapid Read Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and Trust member Anil Mishra were questioned by the Ayodhya Police for around two hours on Wednesday, sources said. (Photo: ANI file) The Ayodhya Police are likely to seek an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged misappropriation of donation funds at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, sources said, as the investigation into the case gathers pace. According to sources, raids conducted by investigating agencies have led to the recovery of around Rs 62 lakh allegedly linked to the suspected diversion of temple donations. The recoveries reportedly include Rs 20.39 lakh from Avinash Shukla, Rs 18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey, Rs 14.25 lakh from Anukalp Mishra, Rs 7.32 lakh from Ramakant Mishra, Rs 2 lakh from Manish Kumar Yadav and Rs 1 lakh from Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, sources added.
Additionally, the police recovered approximately 11 grams of gold, about 375 grams of silver, and USD 1,121 during the investigation, sources added. In another development, police recovered a donation box labelled “Ramrajya Kosh", bearing a Paytm QR code, from a yoga centre in Ayodhya where the accused Avinash Shukla had been residing for the past 10 years, sources stated. Meanwhile, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and Trust member Anil Mishra were questioned by the Ayodhya Police for around two hours on Wednesday, sources said. According to sources, during the questioning, Champat Rai told investigators that hidden cameras had been installed in the donation counting rooms as a security measure. He also allegedly said that he had been “betrayed" by the accused persons. The investigation is continuing, and police are expected to examine financial transactions and other evidence to determine the extent of the alleged misappropriation.
If an ED probe is approved, the central agency is likely to investigate the money trail and any possible offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Ayodhya Ram Temple Theft Row The controversy erupted on June 7 after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its preliminary findings on June 23, following which an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight persons associated with the temple’s donation-counting process were arrested. The probe gathered further momentum on Tuesday when police questioned the accused Avinash Shukla inside the district jail after obtaining court permission. Investigators also recorded the statement of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, who recently offered to resign, taking “moral responsibility" for the controversy. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Saurabh Verma Senior Sub-editor Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor.
The BriefWire