Police personnel escort the accused to a court in connection with the alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donation funds in Ayodhya on Friday (June 26, 2026).
| Photo Credit: PTI
A court in Ayodhya on Monday (June 29, 2026) sent all eight accused in the alleged theft and embezzlement of donations from the Ram Temple to 14 days in judicial custody. The accused had earlier been produced before a remand magistrate on Friday (June 26, 2026), who had sent them to three days of judicial custody.
Also read | Explained | What is the Ram Temple embezzlement case
The eight accused — Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Manish Yadav, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Mishra and Subhash Srivastava — were produced before Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court, Rajat Verma, through video conferencing from the district jail, after the expiry of their three-day judicial custody.
The case has been posted for hearing on July 13.
The accused have been booked under charges including theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy under multiple sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The arrested accused included former close aides of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai. As per the FIR, the accused were involved in the process of counting cash and valuables donated by devotees at the temple. Officials alleged that the accused had misappropriated donations collected through boxes installed at the temple premises.
Earlier in the day, Faizabad/Ayodhya Bar Association passed a resolution that none of its members will represent the eight accused. The association said if any member still wishes to represent the accused, they should pay a penalty of ₹5 lakh per accused into the association’s account. “No lawyer will represent the accused in the case and if anyone does, a fine of ₹5 lakh will be imposed on them. We will write a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation, for investigation in the matter. The Bar Association will approach the High Court for a CBI investigation,” said Kalika Prasad Mishra, the president of the association.
The Bar Association also demanded the registration of a case against Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust outgoing General Secretary Champat Rai, trust member Anil Mishra and temple construction in-charge Gopal Rao. In the meeting, many advocates said that outgoing general secretary of the Ram Temple Trust Champat Rai, trustees Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao must leave Ayodhya. “Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, have to leave Ayodhya within three days. If they do not leave within three days then entire Ayodhya will be blocked,” the lawyers could be heard saying in a viral video during the meeting.
On Ayodhya lawyers’ refusal to represent the accused, International President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Alok Kumar, said: “The morality of our legal system says that even the worst of the criminals should get defence. The proposal of the Ayodhya Bar Association appears to be political.”
The Congress further pushed its demand for a Supreme Court-monitored probe in the matter.
A Congress delegation, including State unit chief Ajay Rai and four Lok Sabha MPs, will visit Ayodhya on June 30 to take the blessings of Lord Ram. “Ayodhya lawyers have made it clear that accused persons like Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao must leave Ayodhya within three days. If this does not happen, Ayodhya will be completely blocked, and no lawyer will fight their case. The people of Ayodhya will no longer tolerate those who indulge in corruption in the name of faith. These individuals, under the protection of power, will now have to answer. We are demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation in the case,” Mr. Rai told The Hindu.
Mr. Rai has been placed under house arrest at a hotel in Ayodhya, the opposition party said in a statement on Monday evening (June 29, 2026).
Published – June 29, 2026 04:49 pm IST
