QR Code donation box seized from yoga centre where Ram Temple theft accused stayed
Ayodhya Police recovered a donation box bearing a QR code, along with cash, gold, silver and foreign currency, during a raid conducted as part of
Ayodhya Police recovered a donation box bearing a QR code, along with cash, gold, silver and foreign currency, during a raid conducted as part of the probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, police sources said. Sources said the police recovered about 11 grams of gold, around 375 grams of silver and USD 1,121 during the investigation. A donation box labelled "Ramrajya Kosh" and carrying a Paytm QR code was seized from a yoga centre in Ayodhya, where accused Avinash Shukla had been living for the past 10 years. Read Full Story The probe has also widened to examine the role of around 400 private security personnel posted at the temple complex. Police are checking duty rosters, CCTV footage, entry and exit records and other activities to find out whether any security rules were broken or whether anyone helped facilitate the alleged embezzlement.
Police also searched the house of accused Lavkush Mishra and combed through stacks of dry fodder there, sources said. They added that Lavkush's father, Bachchu Lal Mishra, was taken into custody for questioning. According to police sources, the cash recovered so far includes Rs 20.39 lakh from Avinash Shukla, Rs 18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey, Rs 16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra, Rs 14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, Rs 7.32 lakh from Ramashankar Mishra and Rs 1 lakh from Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu. Sundar Lal, a yoga instructor at the centre, told news agency PTI that police had first raided the premises on June 5, checked CCTV footage and searched the room where Shukla stayed. "The police arrived with Avinash and required us to vacate the premises where he was living.
After they left, we learned that Rs 5 lakh had been recovered from his possession," Lal said. Sources said legal action would be taken against any security personnel found to have ignored rules or helped in the alleged theft. The controversy began on June 7 after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple. A Special Investigation Team set up by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its preliminary findings on June 23, after which an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight people linked to the temple's donation-counting process were arrested. The investigation gathered further pace on Tuesday when police questioned accused Avinash Shukla inside the district jail after getting 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. With fresh recoveries, house searches and scrutiny of temple security arrangements, the investigation into the alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple is now covering both the accused in the donation-counting process and others who may have had a role in any breach of procedure. Ends (With inputs from PTI)
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