Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 26 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday said an impartial investigation will be conducted into the allegations that prompted Champat Rai's resignation as General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Speaking to reporters, Pathak said that an FIR has been registered in the case and the government will take action as per law.
"An impartial investigation will be conducted. FIR has been registered. The government has said that action will be taken as per the law," Pathak told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Rai and member trustee Anil Mishra had resigned, taking moral responsibility in connection with the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case, sources said. The Ayodhya Police have also taken the alleged accused in the Ram Janambhoomi Temple embezzlement case, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinu Yadav, into custody.
The arrest follows after the Police registered an FIR at Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station over alleged large-scale financial misappropriation involving donation funds at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
According to the police, an FIR was registered on June 25. The complaint was lodged by Krishanmohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The FIR alleges a criminal conspiracy involving several employees engaged in the counting and management of offerings at the temple site. The complaint accuses the individuals of systemic theft, embezzlement, and planned misappropriation of funds donated by devotees.
Nine persons have been named as primary suspects in the case, along with several unidentified individuals.
The named accused are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinu, and Ashutosh Tiwari.
Under the supervision of Officer in Charge the police said they have completed initial documentation and provided a computerised copy of the FIR to the complainant. Senior district officials were informed of the case registration via wireless communication. The investigation has been transferred to the Circle Officer (CO), Ayodhya, for further inquiry into the alleged financial irregularities.
This action followed allegations by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and ₹7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir. In response to these claims, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 14 to probe the alleged scam, acting on a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lashed out at the opposition for its stand on the alleged embezzlement case at the Ram Mandir. Calling out the opposition, the CM said that those who had opposed the temple construction were now raising the issue for political gain.
The CM said that the state government would adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy against anyone attempting to hurt public faith, as he addressed a public meeting in Deoria after the first FIR was registered on the basis of the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) preliminary report. The Chief Minister was addressing a programme for the inauguration and foundation stone laying of 106 development projects worth over Rs 456 crore.
Speaking on those questioning matters related to Lord Ram and Ayodhya, Adityanath alleged that those raising objections had earlier denied the existence of Lord Ram and the significance of Ayodhya.
"One side used to say that lord Ram doesn't even exist, meaning these people wanted to deny Ayodhya itself. They kept fighting the case in court continuously, kept fielding armies of lawyers against the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, and the other side is the one that would wield sticks and fire bullets at those chanting 'Jai Shri Ram.' Those who would fire bullets at the mere mention of Lord Ram's name are now saying that there has been tampering with faith... They would incite riots on Ram Navami, ban Shri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations, prevent the Kanwar Yatra from taking place, incite riots during Durga Puja... Remember, the Congress didn't just loot the country; they tore it apart. The records of dishonesty and corruption they established, and those very people are now casting aspersions on Ayodhya? This is unacceptable," Yogi Adityanath said.