Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Theft Case: After Avinash Shukla’s Revelations, Police to Seek Custody of Other Accused

Ayodhya: Following significant disclosures by prime accused Avinash Shukla during his recent police remand, Ayodhya Police are set to approach the court seeking police custody of other arrested persons in the Ram Temple donation theft case. The move comes after Shukla allegedly provided key details about the conspiracy, helping investigators reconstruct events and identify the trail of embezzled funds.

The case involves alleged misappropriation of cash offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust reported irregularities, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13, 2026. A preliminary SIT report on June 23 led to an FIR on June 25 at Ayodhya police station.

Eight persons arrested so far:

Avinash Shukla (alleged key figure involved in cash reconciliation/counting)

Anukalp Mishra

Lav Kush Mishra

Karunesh Pandey

Manish Kumar Yadav

Ramashankar Mishra

Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav

Subhash Srivastava (retired bank employee)

Police have recovered approximately Rs 79.85 lakh in cash, 1,121 US dollars, and gold/silver jewellery from the accused. The largest haul came from Avinash Shukla — Rs 20.39 lakh, foreign currency, two gold chains, a gold ring, and other items. Significant cash recoveries were also made from Karunesh Pandey (Rs 18.07 lakh), Anukalp Mishra (Rs 16.82 lakh), Lav Kush Mishra (Rs 14.25 lakh), and others. No recovery was reported from Subhash Srivastava’s residence.

Breakthrough during Avinash Shukla’s remand

Ayodhya Police recently secured 24-hour police remand of Avinash Shukla. During interrogation and a site visit, Shukla allegedly identified a location near the 14-Kosi Parikrama route in Ayodhya where the stolen donation money was divided among the accused. He reportedly reconstructed the sequence of events for investigators.

Police confronted Shukla with 45 days of CCTV footage from the temple complex showing the accused inside the cash-counting room. Visuals reportedly captured individuals, including Shukla and Anukalp Mishra, concealing cash bundles in clothes, socks, and pockets. One accused allegedly acted as a human shield to block camera views while others removed cash.

According to disclosures, the modus operandi involved studying CCTV blind spots, staff movement patterns, and entry/exit routes. Stolen cash was allegedly first hidden in washrooms within the temple complex before being smuggled out in small tranches over time to avoid detection. One of the two keys to the highly secured counting room was allegedly held by co-accused Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu (who had no official role in cash counting), while the other remained with bank officials supervising the process.

A Maruti Brezza car, allegedly purchased using diverted temple funds and registered in a relative’s name, has also been recovered and is under forensic examination.

Next phase of investigation

With fresh leads emerging from Shukla’s custodial interrogation, police sources said the team will now seek police remand/custody of other accused persons. The primary objective is to verify statements (including claims about key handling and division of money), trace the complete financial trail, examine possible investments in properties or assets, and question linked individuals such as sanitation staff regarding suspicious activities in washroom areas.

All eight accused were earlier sent to 14 days of judicial custody by a local court in Ayodhya (around June 29–30, 2026). The SIT, comprising the Lucknow divisional commissioner, IG Lucknow Range, and a Finance Department special secretary, has had its probe deadline extended to July 15, 2026.

The investigation continues on multiple fronts — custodial interrogation where permitted, forensic analysis of CCTV and digital evidence, financial scrutiny, and property verification — to establish the full extent of the alleged conspiracy.

The temple trust has already strengthened monitoring of donation counting processes, including enhanced CCTV coverage and sealed collection boxes, in the aftermath of the incident.The case remains under active investigation, with police emphasising that further arrests or recoveries cannot be ruled out as the probe deepens.