Cash, gold jewellery, car seized from accused in Ram Mandir embezzlement case

Searches conducted on the second day of custodial interrogation of the three key accused in the fund embezzlement case made fresh recoveries of 45,000 rupees

Ayodhya Police on Thursday made fresh recoveries of ₹45,000 in cash, gold ornaments, a vehicle, a high-end mobile phone and land-related documents during searches linked to the misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple, on the second day of the custodial interrogation of three key accused, officials familiar with the investigation said.

Gold and other assets were recovered from the premises of three key accused in Ram Mandir fund embezzlement case: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey (ANI)

The searches formed part of the ongoing 40-hour police custody of Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra and Karunesh Pandey, three of the eight accused, who were arrested on June 26.

Police officers familiar with the probe said investigators recovered ₹35,000 in cash and a gold locket engraved with Lavkush’s name, allegedly purchased for his wife, from locations linked to him. At premises linked to Anukalp, brother of Lavkush’s wife, investigators recovered a gold necklace, a car and a high-end mobile phone. Police suspect these assets may have been acquired from the alleged proceeds of the embezzled donations and are verifying their source of funding.

Investigators recovered ₹10,000 in cash from premises linked to Karunesh Pandey, while also collecting financial and documentary evidence for forensic examination.

Meanwhile, the Ram temple administration on Thursday deactivated the digital IDs of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’s former general secretary Champat Rai, ex-trustee Anil Mishra and former temple administrator Gopal Rao. These IDs can no longer be used to issue darshan passes.