Ram Mandir donation embezzlement row: Trust member backs govt's action, says ‘capital punishment warranted’

MAHANT Dinendra Das Maharaj, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, on Sunday supported the administration's actions in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case and called them "appropriate."

Das made these remarks while speaking with ANI and said, "The action taken by the administration is appropriate. Whatever verdict is delivered will be the right one. The chief minister ensured the culprits were caught; otherwise, they might never have been found." He also called for strict punishment for those found guilty and added that continued action by officials would help prevent such incidents in the future.

Das noted, "If the administration continues to take action, such thefts will cease. It is right to imprison anyone found guilty in this matter; even capital punishment is warranted. Stealing from the Ram Mandir is a heinous crime. Once they are imprisoned and face the gallows, everything will be set right."

He noted that the case has not affected the day-to-day operations of the temple and added, "Worship is proceeding smoothly. Rituals are performed on time. There is complete transparency regarding donations now. No one takes any money. Anyone found guilty will be removed, and every effort will be made to penalise them."

Ram Mandir donation embezzlement row: Here's what we know

The trust member's remarks came amid an ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into an alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on 25 June after a preliminary SIT report was submitted on 23 June, following which at least eight people were arrested and taken into custody in connection with the case.

The people named in the FIR include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav, and others. The case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61, and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.

The FIR in the alleged misappropriation case came days after Pawan Pandey, a former Samajwadi Party MLA from Ayodhya, levelled allegations that donations worth between ₹7 crore and ₹7.5 crore were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir.

Following his claims, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on 14 June to investigate the alleged scam. It also acted on a request made by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

A day after the FIR was registered, the trust's general secretary, Champat Rai, resigned along with Anil Mishra, a member trustee, citing moral responsibility. In a letter to Trust Chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Rai announced that he was stepping down to ensure that a free and fair investigation takes place and to protect the sanctity of Lord Ram's work from controversy.

Earlier this week, the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led state government granted a 15-day extension to the SIT to complete its probe. According to ANI, the extension was granted to allow the SIT to widen the scope of its probe and conduct a comprehensive inquiry.

According to a Times of India report, investigators are also probing the alleged financial irregularities involving the accused, whose reported income is inconsistent with their assets, including property purchases and luxury vehicles.

Citing bank records, officials estimated that roughly ₹6-₹8 lakh was being siphoned off daily from the Ram Mandir before the case came to light.