Ram Mandir Donation Row: Ayodhya Police Raid Homes of Accused Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Karunesh Pandey

Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: Police intensified their investigation on Wednesday into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir, carrying out searches at the residences of several accused individuals, including Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey.

A police team reached Anukalp Mishra’s residence to search for evidence related to the alleged siphoning of temple funds. Mishra’s grandmother, Sita Devi, defended her grandson, describing him as a disciplined and well-behaved young man.

“Anukalp is my wonderful grandson. He never gossips or complains. He doesn’t hang around and he doesn’t chew gutka or paan,” she told ANI.

Simultaneously, another team visited the ancestral home of Lavkush Mishra. His grandmother, Girija Devi, expressed distress over the questioning and insisted her grandson followed a righteous path.

“They ask all sorts of things, where the money is kept. My health is not well. How can I know about money? ... My child was not like that. It is God’s will,” she said.

Family members of Karunesh Pandey also rejected the allegations. Prabha Shankar Pandey stated there was no evidence of wrongdoing and highlighted the family’s modest financial condition.

“This is absolutely wrong. He hasn’t done anything of the sort. ... His family’s financial condition is dire, and there is nothing in his way of working or lifestyle to suggest theft or an unexplained influx of money,” he told ANI.

Another relative, Aditya Prakash Pandey, added that Karunesh’s lifestyle had not changed.

The raids follow earlier police visits, including one on June 28 to the residence of another accused, Avinash Shukla. A local court in Ayodhya remanded the accused in the case to 14 days of judicial custody on Monday.

The case stems from allegations made by former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between ₹7 crore and ₹7.5 crore in donations to the Ram Mandir were misappropriated. An FIR was registered on June 25 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61, and 3(5). Named in the FIR are Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav, and others.

In response to the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 14 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned on Friday, taking moral responsibility for the alleged irregularities.

The state administration is under pressure from opposition parties to ensure a thorough and transparent probe into the misappropriation of public offerings made to the temple. Police officials continue to gather evidence as the investigation proceeds.