New expose in Ram Mandir case: Fake donation receipts used to dupe devotees

The investigation found that the accused not only siphoned off Ram Mandir donations but also collected money from devotees using fake receipts. The latest finding adds a new angle to the donation theft case.

In Short

• Investigators found the accused diverted temple donations meant for the Ram Mandir
• The probe also uncovered collections from devotees through fabricated donation receipts
• Fake paperwork suggests the alleged fraud extended beyond internal fund embezzlement

The investigation into the Ram Mandir donation theft case has revealed that the accused not only embezzled funds but also collected money from devotees by issuing fake receipts. Sources said the SIT team probing the case have recovered old fake donation receipt books bearing the name and logo of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

The matter came to light during the questioning of the accused. So far, eight people have been arrested in the case, including Ramshankar Yadav, popularly known as Tinnu Yadav, a close aide of former trust general secretary Champat Rai. Rai resigned from his post last week in the wake of the controversy.

During questioning, the accused allegedly confessed that they collected money from devotees by issuing forged donation receipts.

Sources said the recovered receipt books closely resembled the original receipts. The forged slips also carried the trust's logo, making them appear authentic. This prevented the devotees from suspecting any fraud.

Initially, sources said, the accused used these fake receipts to acknowledge the donations. The SIT is yet to unearth how much money was siphoned off by the accused by issuing such fake receipts.

However, the accused stopped using the paper receipts after the Ram Mandir management introduced a new online receipt system.

Devotees then started to transfer the donations directly to the temple's bank account or obtain official slips from the authorised donation counter inside the temple premises.

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