The alleged theft and misappropriation of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya took a significant turn on Thursday after police registered the first FIR in the case, naming eight individuals following the submission of a preliminary report by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and invokes multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to theft by a clerk or servant, criminal breach of trust, handling stolen property, concealment of stolen assets, criminal conspiracy and common intention.
Those named in the FIR are Ramashankar Yadav alias Tibbu or Tinnu Yadav, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash, Karunesh Pandey and Lavkush Mishra.
Investigators have arrested Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra after allegedly recovering stolen cash from their possession. Six others have been taken into custody for questioning as the probe progresses.
According to officials, Lavkush Mishra and Anukalp Mishra were directly involved in counting currency notes received as offerings at the temple, while Subhash was serving as the in-charge of the counting process.
The FIR marks the first formal criminal action in a controversy that erupted following allegations of missing donations and irregularities in the handling of offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple.
The Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a three-member SIT on June 13 after the temple trust sought an impartial inquiry into the allegations. The panel is headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant and includes Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.
The SIT submitted its preliminary findings to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad earlier this week. Officials said the inquiry examined the collection, counting and deposit of donations, scrutinised CCTV footage and financial records, and reviewed the roles of individuals involved in managing temple offerings.
Investigators also studied the procedures governing the transfer of offerings from donation boxes to counting centres and subsequent deposits into bank accounts.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has maintained that donations are handled through established systems involving counting, verification and secure banking procedures, and has denied any institutional wrongdoing.
The issue has generated considerable political attention. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav earlier described the alleged disappearance of donations as a “maha paap” and called for judicial intervention. Following the registration of the FIR, he accused the state government of shielding influential individuals connected to the matter.
In a post on social media platform X, Yadav alleged that evidence may have been tampered with during the period when the SIT was constituted and questioned whether decisions regarding accountability had been predetermined.
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also criticised the probe, questioning the independence of the SIT and demanding a broader investigation into the alleged disappearance of cash, jewellery and silver offerings donated by devotees.
The Congress has sought a time-bound inquiry supervised by a sitting High Court judge. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai argued that the issue involves the faith of millions of devotees and should not be limited to a government-appointed investigation panel.
The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court. On Thursday, the apex court declined an oral request for urgent listing of a petition seeking a court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities linked to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The matter is expected to be mentioned again on June 29.
The petition seeks registration of an FIR, constitution of a Central Bureau of Investigation-led SIT, and preservation of all physical, digital and financial records, including donation registers, audit reports, CCTV footage and bank documents.
Officials familiar with the preliminary findings have indicated that the SIT has also recommended administrative reforms to strengthen donation management. Among the suggestions reportedly under consideration is the appointment of a chief executive officer on the lines of the management model adopted at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The contents of the SIT report have not yet been made public. No senior office-bearer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has been named in the FIR so far.
As the investigation continues, the case has emerged as a major political flashpoint in Uttar Pradesh, with opposition parties demanding greater transparency and accountability in the management of donations made by devotees at one of the country’s most prominent religious sites.
