Two men from the same family have emerged at the centre of the Ayodhya Ram temple theft case. Anukalp Mishra and his brother-in-law, Lavkush Mishra, are among the eight arrested in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the temple's donation boxes.
Anukalp Mishra is being viewed as the mastermind of the temple theft case.
Anukalp had managed to get Lavkush appointed to his team that was tasked with counting the cash and other valuables donated by devotees. He is now being viewed as the mastermind of the racket that has sent shockwaves through the nation's political corridors.
A visit to his village in Ayodhya made new revelations about his upgraded lifestyle. For starters, his house stands out starkly from the rest. At first glance, it came across as the most luxurious property in Basava village.
(Notably, several villagers refrained from describing Anukalp as a "good person.")
While the Mishras were not home, a relative who lived next door claimed that the two families had a dispute.
His neighbours also pointed to a dramatic shift in the family's financial situation. Many claimed the household was in "dire" financial straits not long ago, but now wants for nothing.
The impact of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s tough stance has already become evident. Trust general secretary Champat Rai and senior trustee Anil Mishra have resigned under mounting pressure from the state government.
Sources said both Rai and Mishra were initially reluctant to step down but relented after Adityanath publicly warned in Deoria on Friday that those guilty of “playing with the public’s faith” would face “grave consequences”.
Insiders claimed the trust had under Rai been firmly against the registration of an FIR but buckled under state government pressure.
Yogi Adityanath’s intent seems clear from the reception accorded by the SIT to Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, among the first to allege corruption in the trust.
When Singh had earlier accused Rai and Mishra of irregularities in land purchases in Ayodhya and demanded a CBI probe, he had encountered a hostile administration and alleged that BJP workers had attacked his Delhi residence.
Last week, Singh was invited by the SIT to submit evidence. “I handed over documents related to the land scam in which Champat Rai, Anil Kumar Mishra, former BJP mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay and his nephew Deep Narayan are bound to get trapped,” Singh said.
He accused Rai of facilitating the alleged theft of temple donations.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged theft of temple donations and his declaration that “no one will be spared” are clearly meant to emphasise his image as the uncompromising face of Hindutva.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is at the centre of the controversy, is dominated by RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad luminaries.
Yogi's commitment to Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma is unquestionable. He will never go soft on a theft of this magnitude.
In fact, no senior BJP or RSS leader can publicly advise him to dilute the probe because the theft had put the credibility of the wider Sangh Parivar itself at stake.
Yogi Adityanath’s assertiveness may also reflect a longstanding resentment at his exclusion from the Ram temple trust. The Gorakhnath Math, which he currently heads, had played a pivotal role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement since 1949.
However, when the trust was formed in 2020, none from the Gorakhnath temple found a berth.
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| snap: NDTV website |
Anukalp Mishra's grandfather, Rajendra Prasad Mishra, revealed that his grandson had organised a grand seven-day religious event in the village on April 30, complete with a kathavachak, or religious preacher.
Several key figures attended the event, including Champat Rai, former general secretary of the Ram temple trust, who was seen in photos alongside Mishra. Ayodhya mayor and a representative of the district panchayat president were also present.
Questions now arise over the source of the funds for such a big event.
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