All the accused arrested in the Ram Mandir donation theft case are said to be deeply frightened inside jail and are repenting their actions, according to Ayodhya police sources. None of the accused has any prior criminal record, and none had past experience of planning a theft of this scale, which has left investigators asking a bigger question: on whose instructions was the entire plan hatched.
Who is the mastermind? Police still searching for answers
Police sources said the investigation so far has failed to establish who the real mastermind behind the donation theft is, and this remains the biggest challenge for the probe team. After questioning accused Avinash, police are now preparing to take other accused into custody as required so the layers of the conspiracy can be unravelled.
Statements of Champat Rai and Krishna Mohan Yadav recorded, two key witnesses still pending
According to sources, Ayodhya police are yet to record the statements of Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra. Two days earlier, on Saturday, a Special Investigation Team recorded the statements of Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao and, after questioning Champat Rai, returned to Lucknow. It is learnt that Ayodhya police may soon record the statements of Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao. Meanwhile, the statements of Champat Rai and Krishna Mohan Yadav have already been recorded. Around 70 to 80 people are still to have their statements recorded in the case. Statements of the temple trust's staff and bank employees are also being recorded continuously, and nearly everyone's statements, including those of Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra, are expected to be completed by next week. The responsibility for CCTV monitoring at the counting centre rested with the temple trust.
Five accused to be questioned in jail on Sunday
Ayodhya police have received permission to question the accused in the donation theft case inside jail. Police will question five accused in jail on Sunday, namely Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Karunesh Pandey and Manish Yadav. CO Ashutosh Tiwari, who is investigating the case, had filed an application in the court of Rajat Verma, the special judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act, seeking permission for the jail interrogation, following which the permission was granted. Earlier, police had questioned Avinash in jail and later took him into police custody as well. From Sunday, all five accused will be questioned in jail and their statements recorded. If required, police custody of these accused may also be taken one by one after further questioning.
Important clue found in the property probe
An important clue linked to property has surfaced during the investigation into the theft of donations received for the Ram Mandir. Officials have identified several properties linked to the accused, raising the question of whether the stolen donation money was used to purchase these properties. The administration is now closely scrutinising all these properties.
Twelve properties linked to Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra under the scanner
Officials have found that most of the properties are allegedly linked to accused Anukalp Mishra and his brother-in-law Lavkush Mishra. Sources say at least 12 properties linked to the two have been identified so far, and these properties are said to be worth several crores of rupees. Officials are now trying to determine which of these properties are ancestral and which have been bought recently. The investigation has also found that the accused has properties not just in Ayodhya but also in nearby areas such as Basawa, Milkipur and Rudauli. Some properties were found registered in the names of the accused themselves, while some are said to have allegedly been purchased in the names of family members.
