As the investigation into the case of cash missing from the donation boxes of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya is progressing, new and sensational revelations are also coming to light. Although no official figures of the missing money have been revealed till now, sources related to the investigation claim that this amount can reach crores of rupees. At present, the SIT team involved in the investigation is busy connecting all the links related to the case. The biggest question is that all this was going on for a long time but how it was not caught till now.
According to sources, the process of withdrawing cash from donation boxes had started even before the consecration of Ram Lalla, but after January 22, 2024, with the rapid increase in the number of devotees and offerings, the alleged irregularities also started happening on a large scale. Now investigation has revealed that in the initial phase, cash of Rs 2 to 4 lakh was transferred every day, but later this amount increased manifold.
In the SIT investigation, the name of Milkipur resident Anukalp Mishra has come up prominently. It is being told that on the recommendation of a trustee, he was appointed to work related to the temple and later he also got the responsibility of calculating the donation amount. Now the investigating agencies suspect that Anukalp gradually created a network of his relatives and acquaintances, through which the donations were allegedly misappropriated.
According to sources, about 8 months ago Anukalp had also included his brother-in-law Luvkush Mishra in the calculation work. It is alleged that he had taken control of the entire system by influencing many employees working in his shift.
The cash taken out from the donation boxes was earlier hidden in the bathroom of the Passenger Facilitation Center (PFC). After this, after searching the spot, he was taken out, avoiding the security check, and was allegedly taken to a hideout in Kaushalpuri. The matter of distribution of money there has also come to light in the investigation.
The SIT is now trying to find out how this activity continued without any hindrance for so long and who played a role in it.
An important aspect of the investigation is also that on whose instructions the employees were deployed for the counting work. According to sources, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who is associated with the temple system, has told during interrogation that Anukalp Mishra and some of his acquaintances were appointed on the recommendation of trustee Dr. Anil Kumar Mishra.
It is alleged that Anil Kumar was also responsible for assigning and monitoring the duties of the employees involved in the counting work. However, these allegations have not been officially confirmed yet and the investigating agencies are verifying all the facts.
SIT has interrogated many suspicious employees and responsible officers in the last 3 days. During the interrogation held in the basement of PFC, the question was also raised as to why the enumeration personnel were not checked while coming out.
Now the heat of the investigation has also reached retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava, who was responsible for calculating the donation amount and depositing it in the bank. Apart from this, Ramshankar Yadav, Manish Yadav and Rajesh Pathak are also under investigation. Manish Yadav is said to be a close relative of Ramshankar Yadav.
The biggest question in the whole matter is still how much money went missing from the donation boxes? The SIT is currently matching records, CCTV footage, bank deposit details and statements of employees. Investigating agencies believe that assessment of the actual loss will be possible only after the complete picture is revealed.
At present, the alleged irregularities related to donations in the country's most important religious center like Ram Temple have not only worried the devotees, but have also raised serious questions on the temple management and monitoring system. The SIT investigation is now busy in connecting those links through which the real layers of this entire network and the alleged embezzlement can be revealed.
