SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 in Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has submitted a chargesheet against the eight arrested individuals before a local court on Wednesday.

“The chargesheet has been accepted by the court,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (Ayodhya) Gaurav Grover, noting that it was filed under several provisions, including criminal breach of trust and the Prevention of Corruption Act. He said the chargesheet, spanning approximately 74,000 pages, contains supporting documents, annexures, exhibits and additional evidence.

Eight Accused Remain in Judicial Custody

The eight accused: Avinash Shukla, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav (alias Tinnu Yadav), and Subhash Srivastava are currently in judicial custody.

On Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta filed the SIT’s status report before the Supreme Court. The report stated that CCTV footage from the Ram Temple premises showed 105 instances of unauthorised removal or concealment of cash during the counting process. It also mentioned the arrests made in connection with the case and the evidence collected against the accused.

According to sources, during the investigation, police recovered Rs 79.85 lakh in cash allegedly linked to the embezzlement from all the accused except Subhash Srivastava.

SIT Files Chargesheet After Initial Findings

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

Meanwhile, a large group of lawyers arrived at the court in Ayodhya on Wednesday after learning that the SIT had filed its chargesheet in the case.

“We had previously filed an application with the police requesting an investigation into the alleged involvement of Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, both then office-bearers of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and Gopal Rao in this case,” said Kalika Prasad Mishra, president of the Ayodhya Bar Association.

Champat Rai has since stepped down as the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, while Anil Mishra remains a member of the Trust. According to sources, Gopal Rao was frequently invited as a special guest to the Trust’s meetings.

On Monday, a special court denied bail to three accused — Avinash Shukla, Manish Kumar Yadav and Ramashankar Mishra — and on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey.