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New Delhi: The Ayodhya Police’s probe into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple has widened to include inquiry into the financial transactions of the accused and their associated, movable and immovable asset records and the role of those involved in the counting and handling of devotee’s offerings, reports say. A parallel donation collection initiative is also under the scanner.

The police have sought a two-day police custody remand for key accused Avinash Shukla, from whose premises the highest amount of money, nearly Rs 20.39 lakh, was recovered.

The custody plea follows Shukla’s interrogation by investigating officer Ashutosh Tewari inside Ayodhya jail, during which, according to officials cited by Hindustan Times, he named certain trust functionaries. Police have also carried out additional searches at the residences of the accused named in the first information report filed on June 25. Besides the cash recovered from Shukla’s house, officials have recovered Rs 18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey, Rs 16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra, Rs 14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, Rs 7.32 from Ramashankar Mishra and Rs 1 lakh from Ramashankar Yadav, as per a PTI report. Authorities have also seized foreign currency, including over $1,110, along with 11 gm of gold and roughly........

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