THE investigation into the embezzlement of Ram Temple donations has entered a critical financial audit phase, with Ayodhya Police seeking five years of banking records from the seven banks where the eight arrested accused and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust maintain accounts. Police sources said investigators have sought detailed account statements, transaction histories, KYC documents, deposit records and other banking details to reconstruct the financial trail and identify any suspicious movement of funds linked to the alleged diversion of devotees’ offerings. The exercise is aimed at establishing whether there were unusual cash deposits, withdrawals or inter-account transfers during the period when the accused were associated with the temple’s donation management system, a source familiar with the investigation said. As part of the probe, a police team visited the State Bank of India’s Ayodhya Dham branch, where the Trust’s main donation account is maintained, to collect banking records and procedural documents. Sources said teams also visited six other banks to obtain records related to accounts allegedly held by the accused. Investigators are scrutinising deposit slips, account statements and transaction details to verify whether the amounts deposited in the Trust’s accounts correspond with donations received and recorded by the temple administration.

 

According to officials, police are also gathering records from banks where the accused are believed to have maintained personal or salary accounts. The objective is to compare transactions across all accounts and determine whether any funds allegedly siphoned from temple donations were routed through the banking system. Investigators are expected to cross-reference banking records with CCTV footage, digital evidence, attendance records, cash deposit registers and other documents seized during the investigation. The Naya Ghat branch of the SBI in Ayodhya has become a key focus of the probe, with police questioning bank officials for nearly four hours on Monday. The branch reportedly holds accounts linked to seven of the eight accused as well as the temple trust. SBI sources claimed that irregularities were flagged to the Trust and police around three months ago, but no corrective action was taken. The bank had sought a change in cash counting staff months earlier, but some Trust officials did not approve the move. On Monday, the bank also provided detailed account information of the accused to the police. Police have also issued notices to around six banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, and Canara Bank, seeking details of bank accounts and lockers of the arrested accused, the Trust, and others linked to the case. Officials said around 70 to 80 people are under the scanner, and notices are being issued in phases.

 

Their statements will also be recorded as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged financial irregularities. The Ram Temple Trust is likely to meet on July 6 in Ayodhya to discuss its next course of action following the resignation of its two senior members in the wake of the donation theft row. Police record Champat Rai’s statement: Ayodhya police have recorded the statement of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai as part of the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, days after he offered to resign taking ‘moral responsibility’ for the controversy, officials said on Tuesday. VHP chief Alok Kumar had previously told PTI that the meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust would take place on July 7, but sources said the meeting has been advanced by a day. Trust general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra have already resigned. The Trust will discuss these resignations at its meeting, with sources saying the possibility of them being accepted was "high". Rai, who is the VHP vice president, is a key functionary of the Trust which was formed in 2020 for the construction and management of the Ram temple after the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya dispute.

 

If the resignations of both trustees are accepted, three posts in the Trust will fall vacant. One post has been vacant for almost a year due to the demise of Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra (a member). Trust Chairman Mahant Nrityagopaldas, member K Parasaran, along with some other trustees, are not active due to health and old age. In such a situation, if the Trust is restructured, new names may also be considered in place of these trustees, added the sources. They said that if the central government appoints a CEO in the Trust, the bylaws will first have to be changed. Legal experts say that without changing the Trust's rulebook, a CEO cannot be appointed. The VHP has favoured having a CEO to manage the Temple trust. The name of Ram Mandir Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra was already being discussed for the post of CEO. Retired IAS officer Yogeshwar Ram Mishra's name is also making the rounds for the CEO's post.