AYODHYA: The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested all eight individuals named in a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the alleged embezzlement of cash and valuables donated by devotees at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Trust Files Complaint Following SIT Probe

The FIR was filed late Thursday night at the Kotwali Ramjanmabhoomi police station on a complaint by Krishna Mohan, a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The swift police action followed a preliminary report submitted by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was constituted by the state government on June 13 to investigate the suspected financial irregularities.

High-Profile Staff Among the Arrested

According to senior officials, the arrested individuals were closely tied to the temple’s daily operations and donation handling. They include Subhash Chandra Srivastava (a retired bank employee who served as the cash-counting shift in-charge) and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav (a former driver for Trust general secretary Champat Rai), alongside six other members of the cash-counting staff.

Allegations of Multi-Crore Cash Siphoning

Investigators allege that members of the counting team systematically siphoned off funds—reportedly estimated by opposition leaders to be between ₹7 crore and ₹7.5 crore—by manipulating cash bundles during the counting shifts at the Pilgrim Facility Centre.

Legal Action and Government Response

The accused have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including theft by an employee, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that the government acted strictly based on the SIT’s findings, asserting that an impartial probe is underway and anyone found guilty will face stringent consequences.