The main branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) at Naya Ghat in Ayodhya has become the centre of the investigation into the alleged scam involving Ram Temple donations. On Monday, the Ayodhya Police spent nearly four hours at the branch collecting evidence and bank account details related to the case.
Police Collect Account Details
According to the police, seven of the eight people arrested in the case have bank accounts at the SBI Naya Ghat branch. The main account of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is also maintained at the same branch. The eighth accused has an account at SBI’s Faizabad branch.
As per media reports, SBI Branch Manager Anoop Tripathi said that the police visited the branch to collect account details of all eight accused. The bank provided the required information to the investigating team.
Police have asked Banks to provide five years of banking records from the seven banks where the eight arrested accused and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust maintain accounts.
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.
SBI Had Reportedly Warned About Irregularities
A bank official, who requested anonymity, claimed that SBI had raised concerns about possible irregularities in the temple donation funds nearly three months ago. According to the official, the bank had informed both the temple trust and the Ayodhya Police, but no action was taken at that time.
The official also alleged that some trust officials protected the employees involved. Despite the bank’s warning, the same people continued to be part of the cash-counting process. The Ayodhya Police has not commented on these claims.
Trust Officials Under Investigation
Meanwhile, two senior officials of the temple trust, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, have resigned. According to reports, they are linked to some of the eight arrested persons.
The temple trust had assigned SBI the responsibility of counting donation money. However, a senior bank official claimed that some trust officials pressured the bank to include certain individuals in the cash-counting team. The official said the bank could not refuse because those officials were influential. Investigators are now examining these allegations.
Questions Raised Over Cash Counting Process
The cash-counting team included at least nine SBI employees, staff from a Varanasi-based agency, and representatives of the temple trust.
Investigators are also checking whether proper procedures were followed during cash counting. A bank official said staff members were not required to wear pocketless clothing, and no government officials were present to supervise the counting process.
A trust member, who also requested anonymity, said investigators are trying to find out who ignored the bank’s warning issued three months ago, which officials were responsible, and who approved the inclusion of trust representatives in the outsourced cash-counting team.
Police Visit Canara Bank Branch
The police also visited a nearby Canara Bank branch because the temple trust has accounts with several banks, including Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Punjab National Bank.
Canara Bank Branch Manager Akansha Tewari said the police visited the branch but did not find the bank accounts they were looking for.
Apart from the accounts of the accused, investigators are also checking the bank accounts of their family members.
Eight People Arrested
On June 26, the Ayodhya Police arrested eight members of the cash-counting team. They are:
- Anukalp Mishra
- Lavkush Mishra
- Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu
- Manish Yadav
- Subhash Srivastava
- Avinash Shukla
- Ram Shankar Mishra
- Karunesh Pandey
Police said Manish Yadav is related to Ram Shankar Yadav, who is an aide of Champat Rai. Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra are relatives and are associates of Anil Mishra.
During searches conducted after the arrests, police recovered ₹79.85 lakh in cash from seven of the eight accused.
SBI Assures Full Cooperation
Earlier, SBI said in a statement that it is fully cooperating with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged irregularities in the handling of donations collected through the Ram Temple donation boxes.
The bank said it has been providing banking services to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust since the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in 2024. SBI added that it has extended full cooperation to the SIT and will continue to assist the investigation.
