The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation embezzlement case has registered an FIR against eight people. This comes two days after the SIT submitted its preliminary inquiry report to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The investigators recovered stolen money from two of the accused, Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra, who have since been arrested. The six remaining accused have been taken into custody for further questioning.
The complaint was filed by Krishna Mohan, who is a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The charges slapped on the accused include BNS Section 61 (criminal conspiracy), 3(5) (joint criminal liability), 306 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master), 316(5) (committing criminal breach of trust while acting as public servants or agents), 317(4) (habitually receiving or dealing in stolen property), 317(5) (assisting in the concealment or disposal of stolen property).
The misappropriation allegations surfaced when Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav cited reports suggesting crores of rupees from donations were missing. He had urged courts to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
Following this, the state government constituted the SIT on June 13 after the temple trust sought an impartial probe. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.
Earlier in the day, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal dismissed the SIT probe as an eyewash, asking why an FIR was not lodged.
After landing at Lucknow airport on his way to Ayodhya, he told reporters, "An SIT cannot be formed without an FIR. The CrPC states that an SIT can be constituted only after an FIR is registered. Under which law has this SIT been formed?" he said.
"Diamonds and precious stones that devotees offered to God have been stolen, ₹200 crore in cash has been stolen, and even 200 kilograms of silver have been stolen," he added.
