Ayodhya, June 30: Eight individuals arrested in connection with the Ram Temple donation case were presented in an Ayodhya court on Monday. The defendants appeared via video conferencing, after which they were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
The court scheduled their next appearance for July 13. Law enforcement stated that the investigation is ongoing and that further inquiries are necessary, making it essential to keep the accused in custody.
Authorities previously indicated that they would not seek immediate custody but plan to detain the suspects in the coming days after compiling a detailed list of questions for investigators.
The police have issued notices to approximately six banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, and Canara Bank, requesting information about the bank accounts and lockers of the arrested individuals, the trust, and others involved. Reports suggest that around 70 to 80 individuals are implicated in this investigation, with notices to be sent periodically for questioning.
If necessary, police will request a custody remand from the court for further interrogation of the accused. The investigation team is currently preparing a comprehensive list of questions.
Additionally, all defendants’ mobile phones have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis. It has been reported that the accused deleted chats, and efforts are underway to recover them.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declined to expedite a public interest petition seeking judicial oversight of the financial irregularities related to donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A police team also visited the SBI branch located at Naya Ghat, which holds the trust’s primary bank account. Investigations are ongoing into the potential involvement of bank officials, with the branch manager expected to be questioned and their statement recorded.
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