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Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad defended the investigation into the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, saying that corruption cases are being exposed and acted upon under the present government, unlike in the past.
Speaking to ANI in Prayagraj, Nishad on Friday said corruption had existed earlier as well, but alleged that such cases were suppressed and those involved received protection. "Corruption existed in the past too, but everything used to be hushed up. There was protection [for the corrupt]. In our tenure, however, these cases are being exposed, and punishments are being handed out. One should have faith in the investigation. Instead of making statements to shield the accused and mislead the public, one should support the action taken against corruption. The investigation follows a specific process until the file is closed. No one can be accused without evidence," he said. Earlier, the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj, demanded the strictest possible punishment for the perpetrators, stating that those who committed this crime against the deity "should be hanged." Speaking on the progress of the case, Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj confirmed that the primary accused have already been jailed. He assured that the local administration is pursuing the matter with full force and that active efforts are underway to fully recover the embezzled funds. "Those who committed this theft against Ram Lalla should be hanged," he said. The statement comes as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrived at the temple premises to deepen its probe into the financial irregularities. The state government recently granted a 15-day extension to the SIT, widening its scope to ensure a comprehensive inquiry into the entire network involved. Meanwhile, a team of the Ayodhya Police has taken the prime accused, Avinash Shukla, out of the Ayodhya District Jail after securing a 24-hour custodial remand from a local court. Later in the day, following a series of extensive field searches, the police team escorted Shukla back to the district jail premises. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) and local police sought Shukla's physical custody to reconstruct the sophisticated modus operandi of the theft and to recover more siphoned funds. (ANI)
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