{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Ram Temple Donation Scam Probe: SIT Detains Lavkush Mishra, Rs 10-12 Lakh Recovered From His Home",
  "summary": "The SIT investigating alleged irregularities in Ayodhya's Ram Mandir donations has taken Lavkush Mishra into custody and recovered Rs 10-12 lakh from his house. After a roughly 8-hour search inside the complex, the team stayed overnight in Ayodhya and the probe continues today.",
  "content": "SIT Lands Its First Big Catch in Lavkush Mishra\nThe Special Investigation Team (SIT) examining alleged irregularities in the donations given at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir has made its first major move by taking a man named Lavkush Mishra into custody. According to the investigators, a search of his house turned up Rs 10-12 lakh in cash. The recovery has made the case far more serious, and the SIT's inquiry will continue inside the Ram Mandir premises today as well.\n\nTeam Stayed On the Job Through the Night\nJust how intensely the SIT is working becomes clear from the fact that the team remained inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex until 11 pm late last night. The search operation on the premises ran for nearly 8 hours. Once it wrapped up, the members did not head back; instead they stayed put in Ayodhya and spent the night at the Saryu Atithi Grih. In this donation-box embezzlement case, the SIT will keep the investigation going today too.\n\nQuestions Over Gopal Rao's Repeated Summons\nGopal Rao is regarded as a key figure in the day-to-day running of the Ram Mandir. Maintenance, cleanliness, devotee facilities and the handling of donations are among the several major responsibilities that rest with him. That is precisely why his being called to the temple again and again during the probe has set off all kinds of talk and questions.\n\nAkhilesh Yadav's Dig at the Government\nReacting to the formation of an SIT to probe the allegations of donation misuse, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took aim at the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday. Taking a jibe, he said it was unfortunate that the BJP government was busy setting up an SIT rather than building an IIT (Indian Institute of Technology). It is worth recalling that the Samajwadi Party was the first to raise this issue, doing so more than a week ago. The party branded it an insult to Sanatan Dharma and said it had hurt the sentiments of crores of Sanatanis around the world. Since then, Akhilesh Yadav and former minister Pawan Pandey, who hails from Ayodhya, have been raising the matter persistently and vocally.\n\nOn the other side, the BJP governments in UP and at the Centre have maintained silence on the whole affair. Meanwhile, Ram Mandir Tirth Kshetra Trust secretary Champat Rai offered a clarification, saying the donation accounts were being scrutinised and that so far nothing had come up that was \"worth mentioning.\"\n\nAssurances From the Trust and Administration\nThe state government says the SIT will carry out a comprehensive investigation and submit its report to the government. In the meantime, Ram Mandir construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra assured on Monday that no laxity would be allowed at any stage of the probe. \"The investigation has two dimensions, the criminal one and the one related to future improvements. Only when work is done on both aspects will we be able to further strengthen the devotees' faith,\" Mishra said. He added that the temple trust would extend full cooperation in the inquiry and that every possible assistance would be provided to the SIT. Mishra said he had spoken to the district administration about this on Sunday, and they had assured him of complete cooperation.\n\nMinister Dayashankar Singh Stays Tight-Lipped\nElsewhere, Dayashankar Singh, the minister in charge of Mau district, held a press conference at the Mau district collectorate on Monday. When reporters asked him about the Ram Mandir donation theft case, he sidestepped the question and said he would not say anything on the matter.\n\nHow and On Whose Orders the SIT Was Formed\nThis Special Investigation Team was constituted on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and at the request of the Trust. The Trust had described it as necessary \"to stop misleading information and bring the truth to light,\" stating that attempts were being made to tarnish the image of the Ram Mandir. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police (IG) Kiran S, and Special Secretary in the Finance Department Neel Ratan.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis story may not touch your wallet directly, but transparency in religious donations matters to every devotee.\n\n• Across India: If you have donated to the Ram Mandir, the SIT probe will determine whether your offering was used properly, which in turn strengthens confidence in giving again.\n• In Ayodhya: With the investigation ongoing inside the complex, local devotees and visitors coming for darshan may face changes in arrangements and movement around the premises.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who is Lavkush Mishra and why was he detained?\nThe SIT probing the Ram Mandir donation scam has taken Lavkush Mishra into custody, and Rs 10-12 lakh was recovered from his house.\n\n2. On whose orders was the SIT formed?\nThe Special Investigation Team was set up on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and at the request of the Ram Mandir Trust.\n\n3. Who are the members of the SIT?\nIt includes Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, IG Kiran S, and Special Secretary in the Finance Department Neel Ratan.\n\n4. What did Akhilesh Yadav say about it?\nHe jibed that the BJP government was busy making an SIT instead of an IIT and called the matter an insult to Sanatan Dharma.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/uttar-pradesh/rama-mndira-charhava-ghotala-sit-ne-lavakusha-mishra-ko-dabocha-ghara-se-mile-10-1129",
  "category": "Uttar Pradesh",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-16",
  "tags": [
    "Ram Mandir donation scam",
    "Lavkush Mishra",
    "SIT probe",
    "Ayodhya",
    "Ram Janmabhoomi",
    "Akhilesh Yadav",
    "Nripendra Mishra",
    "Champat Rai"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}