The chargesheet cites more than 200 CCTV instances of accused persons allegedly removing cash or helping others do so. It also refers to mobile chats about bundles of money, cash recoveries, bank deposits and witness statements.
A chargesheet accessed by India Today sets out how police say offerings were taken from the counting room at Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi temple, hidden and allegedly used to buy property and vehicles.
The chargesheet cites more than 200 CCTV instances of accused persons allegedly removing cash or helping others do so. It also refers to mobile chats about bundles of money, cash recoveries, bank deposits and witness statements.
Filed before an anti-corruption court on September 23, it names eight accused: Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla alias Shani, Karunesh Pandey, Manish Kumar Yadav, Lavkush Mishra, Ramashankar Mishra, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu and Subhash Srivastava.
WHAT POLICE SAY THE CCTV SHOWS
According to the chargesheet, Avinash Shukla was seen removing cash on 85 occasions and helping others four times. Manish Kumar Yadav allegedly removed cash 16 times and assisted others 19 times, while Karunesh Pandey allegedly removed it twice and helped others 68 times.
Ramashankar Mishra and Lavkush Mishra were each allegedly seen removing cash once. Police say Lavkush helped others 52 times and Anukalp Mishra assisted them 56 times.
The tally includes instances of assistance. It does not mean cash was removed on more than 200 separate occasions. The chargesheet also refers to cash allegedly being taken while counting-room in-charge Subhash Srivastava was present.
CHATS ABOUT BUNDLES OF CASH
Investigators say messages recovered from the phones of Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla and Lavkush Mishra discuss where to keep bundles of cash and how to hide, exchange or move them.
Police have cited the chats alongside call records, CCTV footage and witness statements to allege that the accused acted together.
The chargesheet says that the alleged theft came to light when Rs 2.25 lakh was found in a bathroom of the counting room on June 4. According to police, staff had become suspicious of some colleagues and began checking people at the gate. The money was allegedly hidden in the bathroom after the checks started.
A witness told investigators that a video of the recovered cash was sent to Champat Rai, then general secretary of the temple trust. Rai confirmed receiving the video and said he was shown the counting-room CCTV footage the next day, according to his statement cited in the chargesheet.
CASH RECOVERIES AND PROPERTY PURCHASES
The chargesheet lists cash recoveries totalling about Rs 79.85 lakh linked to seven of the accused. The largest amounts cited are Rs 20.39 lakh linked to Avinash Shukla, Rs 18.07 lakh to Karunesh Pandey and Rs 16.82 lakh to Anukalp Mishra. Police also reported recovering US dollars, silver and gold jewellery.
Investigators examined bank deposits and purchases made by the accused and their relatives. The chargesheet refers to a house worth about Rs 55 lakh in Anukalp Mishra’s father’s name. It also lists land worth Rs 22.52 lakh in Lavkush Mishra’s wife’s name and Rs 20.91 lakh spent on building a house there.
Police suspect that some property, vehicles and jewellery were bought with the allegedly misappropriated money. Those purchases alone do not establish where the money came from; the prosecution’s claims will have to be tested in court.
