Ram Temple theft accused's wife gets 7-day ADA deadline over 'illegal' Ayodhya house
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Supriya Mishra, wife of Ram Temple donation embezzlement accused Lavkush Mishra, was granted only a seven-day extension by the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) on Wednesday, 15 July to submit documents for an allegedly unauthorised under-construction house in Ayodhya. She had sought a full month, but the authority held firm, warning that failure to comply could result in the property being sealed.
What Happened at the ADA Office
Supriya Mishra arrived at the ADA office accompanied by her daughter and father, where she submitted a formal representation stating that documentation for the under-construction property in the Sahadatganj area remained incomplete. She requested one month to compile and furnish the required records. The authority rejected that request and allowed only seven days, instructing her to submit all valid documents and property records within the stipulated period. She declined to speak to reporters upon leaving the office.
Background: Final Notice and Earlier Warning
The ADA's intervention follows a sequence of escalating notices. An initial notice was issued on 3 July, to which no response was received. A final notice was subsequently pasted on the two-storey under-construction building located at Banvirpur in the Sahadatganj area, warning of sealing if documents were not produced by Wednesday.
ADA Secretary Rakesh Kumar Mishra confirmed that the authority had summoned Supriya Mishra — listed as a resident of Gata No. 16G, Mauja-Vanveerpur, district Ayodhya — and that further action would follow in accordance with the law, depending on the documents submitted.
The Ram Temple Donation Embezzlement Case
The property dispute is a direct consequence of the broader Ram Temple donation embezzlement case that first surfaced on 7 June. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted a preliminary report, on the basis of which an FIR was registered on 25 June. Eight individuals associated with the temple's donation-counting process were arrested the following day, on 26 June.
The arrested accused are Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav, Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Rama Shankar Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey. Police subsequently claimed to have recovered ₹79,85,493 from seven of the eight accused. According to investigators, ₹14.25 lakh was recovered specifically from Lavkush Mishra.
Recoveries and Seizures
The highest individual cash recovery in the case — ₹20.39 lakh — was allegedly made from co-accused Avinash Shukla, who was linked to the temple's donation-counting operations. Investigators also seized a donation box labelled 'Ramrajya Kosh', along with foreign currency, gold, and silver, during searches conducted in connection with the case.
Notably, the plot on which the disputed house is being constructed is registered in Supriya Mishra's name, drawing scrutiny over assets allegedly accumulated during the period under investigation. With the seven-day deadline now in effect, the ADA's next move will be closely watched.