Hearing on notice to wife of Ayodhya donations scam accused over new house deferred

Ayodhya: The Ayodhya Development Authority has deferred the hearing on a notice issued to the wife of an accused in Ram temple donation embezzlement case over the construction of a house in Banipur-Sohawal to August 21, an official said on Friday.

The final hearing in the matter was scheduled for Friday. However, Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) Secretary Rajesh Mishra said the case could not be heard as he was not in office on the day.

"The hearing in the Lavkush Mishra house issue will now be held on August 21," Mishra told PTI.


The ADA earlier issued a show-cause notice to Lavkush's wife, Supriya Mishra, over the construction of a two-storey house allegedly without approval from the authority. The property was purchased in her name.

The authority first issued the notice on July 3, seeking the approved building plan and other relevant documents. After no response was received, a final notice was affixed to the structure on July 14, warning that the building could be sealed if the required documents were not produced.

According to officials, Mishra purchased a 1,000-square-foot plot in Banipur on October 16 last year in his wife's name. The property came under scrutiny during the investigation into the alleged siphoning of donations to the Ram temple.

Investigators suspect the property may have been purchased using funds allegedly diverted before Mishra's arrest. Mishra, an outsourced employee involved in counting cash donations at the Ram temple, was drawing a monthly salary of Rs 15,000.

He is currently lodged in jail in connection with the alleged embezzlement case. Eight people associated with the temple's donation-counting process were arrested after an FIR was lodged on June 25 following a preliminary report by a state government-constituted Special Investigation Team.