Ayodhya/Lucknow: All the eight persons arrested over alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya were on Friday remanded in judicial custody till June 29 as the issue erupted into a full-blown political storm with the ruling BJP and the opposition trading charges and counter-charges while investigators reported recovering Rs 79.85 lakh.
Amid rumours that Champat Rai, a key figure in controversy, has resigned as the general secretary of the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) said it was not aware of any such move. Rai is also the vice-president of the VHP.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vowed that “no one” found guilty or playing with people’s faith would be spared, even as AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal called the case a “dharma yudh”, urged a social boycott of the alleged “chanda chors” and claimed Hindus’ sentiments had been hurt.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP’s “Lankakaand” had begun from Ayodhya while the Congress sought a Supreme Court-monitored probe and dissolution of the temple trust.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak dismissed the opposition’s criticism, alleging the controversy was part of a conspiracy by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.
The FIR, lodged at the instance of trust member Krishna Mohan, was registered following the recommendations of the preliminary report of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government after the allegations of misappropriation surfaced on June 7.
The eight arrested – Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav – were associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the temple.
Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover said the accused were arrested late Thursday night. Government lawyer said they produced before Special Remand Magistrate Nivedita Singh, who sent them to judicial custody till June 29.
Prosecution Officer K C Verma said investigators have recovered Rs 79.85 lakh so far and that provisions relating to criminal breach of trust by public servants and the Prevention of Corruption Act have been invoked. He said five to six of the arrested persons were bank employees deployed for counting donations, while Tinnu Yadav worked as a driver and Subhash Srivastava supervised the cash-counting process.
Police are expected to seek custodial remand when the accused are produced before court again on Monday.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to theft by servant, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy, among other sections.
Adityanath said action began immediately after the SIT submitted its report and asserted that “no one would be spared” if found guilty.
