Ram Temple Theft Probe Intensifies As Key Official Transferred

Ayodhya: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) tracking the multi-crore Ram Temple donation scam has dramatically widened its scope, bringing nearly 80 individuals under the scanner. In a major administrative shake-up reflecting the intensifying probe, Radio Maintenance Officer (RMO) Arjun Dev has been abruptly transferred out of Ayodhya to Gorakhpur after an unprecedented 17-year tenure in the temple district.  

Arjun Dev, a senior officer within the wireless department of the Uttar Pradesh Police, had been stationed in Ayodhya since 2009. Crucially, his role granted him extensive oversight of the Ram Janmabhoomi complex's internal wireless communication networks, central control room operations, and CCTV surveillance systems. Crucial sources reveal that the SIT’s recent report specifically questioned his role, noting that his influence had expanded far beyond his technical duties into the core administrative operations of the temple management trust.  

Investigating agencies are closely scrutinizing why Dev managed to stall previous routine transfer orders, including one in 2024, by leveraging close ties with top temple trust officials. Given that the multi-crore cash embezzlement was caught on the very CCTV networks Dev monitored, detectives are examining whether structural security lapses were deliberately ignored.

The sweeping probe has now placed dozens of temple employees, security personnel, and banking associates under a strict financial audit. The police have officially requested five years of banking records from seven financial institutions linked to the suspects. Simultaneously, simultaneous raids conducted at the residences of the eight prime accused have already led to the recovery of nearly 80 lakh rupees in stolen cash. With former trust general secretary Champat Rai already being closely questioned, the state-appointed SIT is heavily tightening the noose around everyone involved.