Lucknow: Ayodhya police recovered a fake receipt book of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday and took three accused to a location on the 14-Kosi Parikrama Marg, where investigators suspect stolen donation money was counted and distributed.The three accused — Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey — are being interrogated by the police.The questioning is being conducted at Police Lines as investigators attempt to reconstruct the alleged conspiracy and establish the individual roles of each accused.According to sources, police recovered an old receipt book bearing the logo and format of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Investigators suspect the receipt book was forged and closely resembled the original receipts previously issued by the Trust.Sources said the accused allegedly disclosed during questioning that fake receipt books were used to collect money from devotees willing to make donations to the temple.They allegedly issued counterfeit receipts to donors to make the collections appear genuine and avoid raising suspicion. Investigators are examining whether the receipts were used to divert donations outside official accounting system.Sources said the alleged practice dates back to the period before the Trust introduced an online receipt system for donations. Once digital receipts became mandatory, the accused allegedly discontinued the use of printed receipt books.As part of the investigation, police on Wednesday took the three accused to Jaura area along the 14-Kosi Parikrama Marg in Ayodhya.According to sources, investigators suspect the location was used for counting and distributing the cash allegedly siphoned off from offerings.The accused were questioned at the spot as police attempted to verify their statements and reconstruct the movement of the stolen funds.The custodial interrogation follows fresh leads that emerged during the questioning of the remaining accused lodged in Ayodhya jail.Police are confronting the three accused with CCTV footage, financial records, digital evidence and statements recorded from other accused to corroborate the evidence collected so far.Investigators maintain that custodial interrogation is crucial to piecing together the alleged conspiracy, verifying the roles of the accused, tracing the movement of the siphoned-off donations and identifying the methods allegedly adopted to misappropriate temple offerings.All eight accused in the case remain in judicial custody, while the investigation into the alleged donation theft continues.
