Lucknow: In an apparent validation of the allegations of Ram temple donation theft, an FIR was registered Thursday at Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi police station following a complaint filed by the Ram temple Trust.
According to UP police officers, the FIR names eight individuals—Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash, Karunesh and Lavkush Mishra.
A senior police officer told ThePrint that the case has been registered under sections 306 (theft by clerk or servant, or by a person employed in a position of trust, 316 (criminal breach of trust, 317 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, banker, merchant, agent etc) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The development comes days after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter submitted its preliminary report to the state government. The FIR was lodged following the report’s recommendations and directions from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Tinnu Yadav, one of the accused named in the FIR, is widely seen as being close to trust office-bearer Champat Rai.
The SIT had submitted its preliminary findings to the government earlier this week, triggering discussions about possible changes in the administrative structure of the Ram Temple Trust. According to sources, preparations are underway to appoint a retired officer as the trust’s new CEO.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that influential individuals were being shielded in the case. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote: “BJP raaj mein nainsaafi ki dikhegi jhaanki, fungi ko phansi, shaakhaon ko maafi (In BJP rule, this is how injustice will be displayed, the twig will be punished while the branches will be forgiven)”.
Akhilesh further claimed that evidence may have been erased under the pretext of the SIT investigation and questioned whether the probe had been designed to protect “big fish” while targeting others. He also suggested that the conclusions of the investigation may have been decided before the inquiry was conducted.
Earlier on Wednesday, addressing a press conference at the Samajwadi Party headquarters, Akhilesh had termed the alleged theft a “grave sin” and an affront to public faith. He said the donations belonged to devotees from across Uttar Pradesh, India and even abroad, making the issue highly sensitive.
Questioning the role and intent of the SIT, he remarked that the acronym could be interpreted as ‘Share in theft’, adding that the alleged misuse of donations raised serious concerns about accountability and transparency in the management of temple funds.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)