Overview
- The Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team converted preliminary findings into a criminal case after an FIR was filed on June 25 and police arrested eight people who worked on donation counting and handling.
- Senior trust officials Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have resigned and had their statements recorded by police as investigators press for answers about oversight of the counting process.
- Searches at the accused’s homes recovered nearly ₹80 lakh in cash and jewellery and investigators have begun collecting bank statements from the State Bank of India branch used by the trust.
- The Faizabad/Ayodhya Bar Association resolved that its members will not defend the accused and urged a CBI or Supreme Court‑monitored probe while the Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing until after its vacation.
- The case has become a political flashpoint ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh election with opposition parties demanding court‑monitored inquiries and the probe now widening to notices to multiple individuals and banks.