Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested eight individuals in connection with the alleged misappropriation of donations at the revered Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The arrests occurred swiftly, just hours after an First Information Report (FIR) was formally lodged following recommendations from a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The case was initiated based on a complaint filed by Krishna Mohan, a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The preliminary report from the SIT prompted the registration of the FIR, which names eight specific individuals along with several unidentified persons. Those named include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu.
The accused face serious charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including theft, criminal breach of trust, receiving or concealing stolen property, and criminal conspiracy. Additionally, Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been invoked, indicating allegations of corruption.
The SIT itself was established by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13, responding to the trust's request for an investigation into irregularities concerning the handling of offerings from devotees. The controversy gained significant political attention earlier in June when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav publicly cited reports claiming millions of rupees in donations were missing, calling for judicial cognizance.
In response to the initial allegations, Vishva Hindu Parishad chief Alok Kumar had accused the Samajwadi Party and Congress of attempting to politicize the issue ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Following the recent arrests, Akhilesh Yadav again voiced skepticism on social media, suggesting that under the current government, only "small fish" would be punished while "big fish" would be protected. He further alleged that the SIT process might have been used to tamper with evidence and predetermine outcomes.
Krishna Mohan, who filed the complaint, joined the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on September 16, 2025, succeeding trustee Kameshwar Chaupal. A former Indian Forest Service officer from Hardoi, Mohan retired in 2012 and subsequently engaged in social work.