New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) The investigation into the embezzlement of Ram Temple donations has entered a critical financial audit phase, with Ayodhya Police seeking five years of banking records from the seven banks where the eight arrested accused and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust maintain accounts.

Police sources said investigators have sought detailed account statements, transaction histories, KYC documents, deposit records and other banking details to reconstruct the financial trail and identify any suspicious movement of funds linked to the alleged diversion of devotees’ offerings.

The exercise is aimed at establishing whether there were unusual cash deposits, withdrawals or inter-account transfers during the period when the accused were associated with the temple’s donation management system, a source familiar with the investigation said.

As part of the probe, a police team visited the State Bank of India’s Ayodhya Dham branch, where the Trust’s main donation account is maintained, to collect banking records and procedural documents.

Sources said teams also visited six other banks to obtain records related to accounts allegedly held by the accused. Investigators are scrutinising deposit slips, account statements and transaction details to verify whether the amounts deposited in the Trust’s accounts correspond with donations received and recorded by the temple administration.

According to officials, police are also gathering records from banks where the accused are believed to have maintained personal or salary accounts. The objective is to compare transactions across all accounts and determine whether any funds allegedly siphoned from temple donations were routed through the banking system.

Investigators are expected to cross-reference banking records with CCTV footage, digital evidence, attendance records, cash deposit registers and other documents seized during the investigation.

The Naya Ghat branch of the SBI in Ayodhya has become a key focus of the probe, with police questioning bank officials for nearly four hours on Monday. The branch reportedly holds accounts linked to seven of the eight accused as well as the temple trust. SBI sources claimed that irregularities were flagged to the Trust and police around three months ago, but no corrective action was taken.

The bank had sought a change in cash counting staff months earlier, but some Trust officials did not approve the move. On Monday, the bank also provided detailed account information of the accused to the police.

Police have also issued notices to around six banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, and Canara Bank, seeking details of bank accounts and lockers of the arrested accused, the Trust, and others linked to the case.

Officials said around 70 to 80 people are under the scanner, and notices are being issued in phases. Their statements will also be recorded as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged financial irregularities.

–IANS

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