SIT submits 74,000-page chargesheet in Ram temple donation theft case

Most of the accused arrested in the case were involved in counting cash donations at the temple. Subhash Srivastava was in charge of the donation-counting process, while Tinnu Yadav worked as a driver and was a close aide of Champat Rai. (File)

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has filed a chargesheet against the eight arrested accused at a local court on Wednesday.

“The chargesheet has been accepted by the court,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (Ayodhya) Gaurav Grover, adding that it has been filed under various provisions, including criminal breach of trust and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The chargesheet, which runs to around 74,000 pages, includes supporting documents, annexures, exhibits, and other evidence, he said.

All eight accused – Avinash Shukla, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, and Subhash Srivastav – are currently in judicial custody.

On Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted the status report of the SIT in the Supreme Court. According to the report, the CCTV cameras installed at the Ram temple premises captured 105 instances of theft. It also referred to the arrests made in this connection and the evidence gathered against the accused.

During the probe, police recovered Rs 79.8 lakh from seven of the eight arrested men, sources said. No cash or valuables were recovered from Subhash Srivastav.

On June 25, two days after the SIT submitted its preliminary findings to the government, the UP Police registered an FIR on a complaint filed by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

Meanwhile, a large number of lawyers reached the court in Ayodhya on Wednesday after coming to know that the SIT has filed its chargesheet in the case.  “We had earlier submitted an application to the police seeking an inquiry into the alleged roles of Champat Rai, Anil Mishra— all then office bearers of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust —  and Gopal Rao in the case,” Ayodhya Bar Association president Kalika Prasad Mishra said.

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While Champat Rai has since resigned from the post of former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Anil Mishra was a member of the Trust.  Sources said that Gopal Rao was often invited as a special invitee to the Trust’s meetings.

Most of the accused arrested in the case were involved in counting cash donations at the temple. Subhash Srivastava was in charge of the donation-counting process, while Tinnu Yadav worked as a driver and was a close aide of Champat Rai.

Court defers bail hearing

The hearing on bail applications of the remaining two accused in the Ram temple donation theft case was deferred on Wednesday after the local bar association raised objections following the filing of a chargesheet by police in the case, their lawyer said. The bail applications of the two accused — Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav — will now be heard on Thursday, said advocate Kul Shekhar Singh.

A special court had on Monday rejected the bail applications of three accused — Avinash Shukla, Manish Kumar Yadav and Ram Shankar Mishra, and on Tuesday rejected those of Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey. —PTI