Lucknow: The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations has entered a critical financial-audit phase, with Ayodhya Police seeking five years of banking records from seven banks where the eight arrested accused and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust maintain accounts.Police sources said investigators have sought detailed account statements, transaction histories, KYC documents, deposit records and other banking details to reconstruct the financial trail and identify any suspicious movement of funds linked to the alleged diversion of devotees’ offerings.The exercise is aimed at establishing whether there were unusual cash deposits, withdrawals or inter-account transfers during the period when the accused were associated with the temple’s donation management system, a source familiar with the investigation said.As part of the probe, a police team visited the State Bank of India’s Ayodhya Dham branch, where the Trust’s principal donation account is maintained, to collect banking records and procedural documents. Teams also visited six other banks to obtain records related to accounts allegedly held by the accused.Investigators are scrutinising deposit slips, account statements and transaction details to verify whether the amounts deposited in the Trust’s accounts correspond with donations received and recorded by the temple administration.According to sources, police are gathering records from banks where the accused are believed to have maintained personal or salary accounts. The objective is to compare transactions across all accounts and determine whether any funds allegedly siphoned from temple donations were routed through the banking system.The financial scrutiny follows the arrest of eight outsourced workers allegedly involved in counting and depositing temple donations. Police believe that examining the financial history of both the accused and the Trust over the past five years could help identify discrepancies, establish the alleged money trail and determine whether the suspected embezzlement was part of a larger and sustained operation.Investigators are also expected to cross-reference banking records with CCTV footage, digital evidence, attendance records, cash-deposit registers and other documentary material seized during the investigation.
