Ram Temple 'donation theft': Cops suspect embezzlement may not have been isolated act

Police suspect that the alleged embezzlement may not have been an isolated act and are probing whether evidence was destroyed or manipulated to conceal discrepancies.

LUCKNOW: The Ram temple donation embezzlement probe has widened, with bank officials who handled deposits of offerings now under scrutiny even as Ayodhya police prepare to seek custody of the eight arrested accused for in-depth interrogation.The eight accused, i.e., Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Manish Yadav, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Mishra and Subhash Srivastava, are in judicial custody till June 29.They will be produced before an Ayodhya court on Monday when local police are expected to seek their remand for questioning to know the role of others involved and also for recovery of more cash.Police plan to confront the accused with documentary evidence, CCTV clips and financial records to piece together the exact modus operandi and establish individual roles.Police are examining whether standard banking protocols were followed while depositing large volumes of cash collected from donation boxes at the Ram temple. The focus is on identifying any irregularities in cash handling, delayed deposits, discrepancies in recorded amounts and possible collusion at the banking level.

Fund diversion?

Police sources said the probe is now tracking the complete money trail: from collection counters and counting centres to final deposits in designated accounts.

Officials linked to the banking process are likely to be questioned on cash reconciliation, deposit timelines, verification mechanisms and internal checks, with documents, transaction logs and CCTV footage being cross-verified for inconsistencies.Police suspect that the alleged embezzlement may not have been an isolated act and are probing whether evidence was destroyed or manipulated to conceal discrepancies.“Custodial questioning will help in recovering material evidence, verifying financial trails and identifying any additional persons involved,” a senior officer said.Adding a sharper edge to the probe, Section 13(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which deals with criminal misconduct by public servants, has been invoked in the FIR. This provision allows investigators to bring bank officials under the ambit of the case if they are found to have abused their official position, facilitated misappropriation, or failed in their duty.Sources said scrutiny of bank officials will also extend to examining whether any entrusted funds were dishonestly diverted or whether any gains disproportionate to known income were generated during the period under investigation.