Ayodhya donation row: Alleged luxury lifestyle of accused raises eyebrows

Anukalp Mishra, a resident of Basava village in Ayodhya’s Milkipur area, stands accused of masterminding one of the most shocking betrayals at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. A man entrusted with counting the sacred offerings of millions of devotees, Mishra allegedly used his position to siphon off cash meant for Lord Ram. 

In a calculated move that reeks of nepotism, he had managed to get his brother-in-law, Lavkush, appointed to the same counting team, giving both men direct access to the steady flow of donations from across the world.

Investigators say this nepotistic arrangement gave both men access to unmonitored cash, which allowed for what police call systematic embezzlement. All eight accused, including Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra, have been arrested and are now in judicial custody following the filing of an FIR at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station. 

The charges include several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), such as Section 61 for criminal conspiracy, Section 306 for theft by a clerk or servant, Section 316(5) for criminal breach of trust by public servants or agents, and Sections 317(4) and 317(5) for dishonestly receiving and hiding stolen property. These are serious crimes with long prison terms, underscoring how serious it is to betray the trust placed in sacred donations. The Special Investigation Team has gathered strong evidence.

CCTV footage reportedly captured the accused diverting notes during counting. Nearly ?80 lakh in cash has been recovered. CCTV footage reportedly shows the accused taking money during the counting process. Police have recovered nearly `80 lakh in cash, including about `10 lakh hidden in cupboards and under cow-dung heaps at Lavkush’s home. 

Police are now carefully investigating the assets of all the accused to follow the money trail.