Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Ayodhya Court Defers Bail Hearing in Ram Temple Theft Case
A court in Ayodhya is hearing a case about allegedly stolen donations from the Ram temple.
Two accused people were supposed to have their bail hearings on Wednesday.
The hearing was moved to Thursday after the local bar association raised objections.
Their lawyer said police filed a chargesheet that is thousands of pages long.
He also said the defense had not received a copy of it yet.
Six other accused had already been denied bail.
Their custody was extended for another 14 days.
Police say they recovered Rs 79.85 lakh.
The lawyer also said three former Trust officials were not named in the chargesheet, although the bar association had asked that they be investigated.
Bail hearings for Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav were deferred from Wednesday to Thursday.
The postponement followed objections from the local bar association after police filed a chargesheet.
The court has taken cognisance of the chargesheet, but the defense says it has not received a copy.
Bail was previously rejected for six other accused, whose judicial custody was extended by 14 days.
The prosecution says investigators recovered Rs 79.85 lakh in the alleged theft and embezzlement case.
- Who
- Eight accused, including Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav, are involved; the case is being investigated by a state government-constituted Special Investigation Team.
- What
- A special court deferred the bail hearing for the two remaining accused after police filed a chargesheet in the alleged Ram temple donation theft case.
- When
- The hearing was deferred on Wednesday, with the next hearing scheduled for Thursday; the FIR was registered on June 25.
- Where
- The proceedings are before Special Judge Rajat Verma of the Anti-Corruption Court in Ayodhya.
- Why
- The hearing was postponed after the local bar association raised objections following the filing of the chargesheet.
Defense and Bar Association Concerns
Prosecution and Investigation Position
Access to the chargesheet
Defense and Bar Association Concerns
The defense lawyer said the chargesheet runs into thousands of pages and that the accused side has not received a copy, so further legal action will be decided after reviewing it.
Prosecution and Investigation Position
Police have filed the chargesheet, and the court has taken cognisance of it while the investigation proceeds through the Special Investigation Team.
Scope of the investigation
Defense and Bar Association Concerns
The lawyer said information available to the bar association indicated that former Trust officials Anil Mishra, Champat Rai and Gopal Rao were not named or charged.
Prosecution and Investigation Position
The prosecution’s case concerns alleged theft and embezzlement, and it says investigators recovered Rs 79.85 lakh; the articles do not report charges against the three former officials.
- Case
- Alleged embezzlement and theft of cash and valuables donated at the Ram temple
- Remaining bail hearings
- Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav are scheduled to be heard on Thursday
- Earlier bail decisions
- Six other accused were denied bail on Monday and Tuesday
- Chargesheet
- Filed and taken cognisance of by the court; the defense says it has not received a copy
- Reported recovery
- Rs 79.85 lakh, according to the prosecution
- Arrests
- Eight people were arrested after an FIR was registered on June 25
- Custody
- The six accused denied bail had their judicial custody extended by 14 days
