Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 8 (ANI): A police team on Wednesday took three accused from the Ayodhya District Jail for custodial interrogation after a local court granted one-day police custody in the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case.

The accused - Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra and Karunesh Pandey - were escorted from the district jail to the Ayodhya Police Lines as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations received at the Ram Temple.

Earlier on Tuesday, an Ayodhya court allowed one-day police custody of the three accused after the police argued that their custodial interrogation was necessary to further the investigation. The Investigating Officer (IO) informed the court that questioning the accused in custody would help establish additional facts related to the case.

Police had initially sought seven days of custody for the three accused, who are currently lodged in jail.

The custody plea followed an earlier round of questioning conducted inside the jail on Sunday, when a police team interrogated five accused. Based on information that emerged during those interrogations, investigators approached the court seeking custody of three of them for further examination.

The alleged embezzlement case has drawn significant attention after a Special Investigation Team (SIT), in its preliminary report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government, found prima facie evidence of theft and pilferage during the counting of donations at the Ram Temple.

According to the SIT, CCTV footage reviewed from April 27 to June 5 allegedly showed counting personnel concealing bundles of currency notes and loose cash inside their clothes, pockets, shoes and other hidden places. The report also noted instances where other employees appeared to assist or shield such activities.

The SIT stated that around 70 instances of alleged theft or pilferage were documented during the period under review. Based on CCTV footage, financial records, recovery documents and witness statements, the report identified Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra as having prima facie involvement in the case.

Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) International President Alok Kumar said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has acknowledged the theft in donations and initiated corrective measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Further investigation into the case is underway. (ANI)