The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of devotees’ offerings at the Ram temple entered a crucial phase on Monday. Police questioned Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, who have tendered their resignations as Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary and trustee respectively, and Gopal Rao, the temple administrator. Simultaneously, the investigators widened the financial probe to trace the alleged money trail.Police personnel conducting investigations in Ayodhya. (ANI VIDEO GRAB)A senior police official said investigators recorded the statements of Rai, Mishra and Rao as part of the ongoing investigation. He described the exercise as a routine part of the probe. Shortly after his questioning, Champat Rai left for Delhi.The investigators also intensified scrutiny of the financial transactions of the eight arrested accused.Cops visit SBI branch in AyodhyaA police team visited the State Bank of India’s Naya Ghat branch in Ayodhya, where seven of the accused maintain accounts, and collected their bank statements. Investigators are analysing deposits and transactions since the accused joined duty at the Ram temple to determine whether any of the allegedly misappropriated money was routed through their personal accounts. Police have also served notices on two SBI employees as part of the investigation.Officials said the inquiry has now expanded beyond the alleged theft itself to tracing the flow of funds, identifying possible beneficiaries and examining whether others may have played a role in the alleged diversion of devotees’ offerings.Also Read: SBI flagged Ram temple donation counting irregularities 3 months agoLater in the day, all eight accused were produced before special judge (Anti-Corruption) Rajat Verma through video conferencing from the district jail after the expiry of their earlier judicial custody. The investigating agency did not seek police custody, special prosecution officer Sanjay Dubey said.Following arguments lasting around 30 minutes, the court extended the judicial custody of all eight accused by another 14 days, Dubey added. The next hearing has been fixed for July 13.Ayodhya circle officer Ashutosh Tiwari, who is leading the investigation, appeared before the court during the proceedings. A prosecution witness was also examined, although officials declined to disclose details.Relatives of some of the accused visited the district jail on Monday, including Ravi Yadav, son of accused Tinnu Yadav, and Shani Yadav, brother of another accused Manish Yadav.Ayodhya Bar's big move amid probeThe case has also triggered a strong response from Ayodhya’s legal fraternity. Members of the Ayodhya Bar have resolved not to represent any of the accused, describing the alleged theft of devotees’ offerings as a grave betrayal of public faith.Meanwhile, a probe team on Monday reached the Pratapgarh residence of Avinash Shukla, one of the eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft of offerings from Ayodhya’s Ram temple.Avinash’s father Ramsajivan Shukla, resident of Babupur Nariawan village in Pratapgarh, said although his son’s name surfaced in the theft case, he was unaware of Avinash possessing large sums of money. He claimed that whenever Avinash visited home, he would contribute only ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 to the family. He added that one of his sons works as a teacher in Ayodhya, while two are engaged in farming. The family owns around 14 bighas of agricultural land.Radhe Shyam, station house officer of Maheshganj police station, said the probe team visited the village in connection with the Ayodhya case but had not contacted him for assistance.Acting on the Trust’s request after the alleged irregularities came to light, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted an SIT on June 13 to investigate the matter.According to investigators, the probe has prima facie revealed a systematic diversion of cash during the collection and counting process. The SIT alleges that a portion of the offerings was siphoned off before being deposited into the temple’s designated bank account, leading to the arrest of eight employees associated with handling and counting donations on June 26.On Sunday, police teams carried out coordinated searches at the residences of all eight accused, examining property records, bank documents and other financial evidence. Investigators are now attempting to establish the full extent of the alleged embezzlement, trace the movement of funds and determine whether the alleged conspiracy extended beyond those already arrested.