Ayodhya: Following the arrest of eight individuals in connection with the massive donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram temple, police have significantly widened their investigation. The probe now encompasses all personnel involved in the daily financial operations of the temple, bringing several senior trust officials and affiliated government staff under strict scrutiny.
The investigating agencies are currently examining the backgrounds of approximately fifty employees tasked with counting the cash offerings made by devotees. These individuals were reportedly appointed based on recommendations from trust members. Authorities are now assessing whether any of these staff members acquired assets disproportionate to their known sources of income since assuming their cash counting duties. According to police sources, the investigation will not be limited to the stolen cash but will also cover other financial transactions, including land purchases made by the trust during the temple construction phase.
The alleged theft came to light in the first week of June, prompting the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to file an official police complaint on June 25. Investigators stated that direct evidence against six of the eight arrested individuals was obtained through CCTV surveillance. The accused were allegedly caught on camera hiding bundles of currency notes inside their clothes, pockets and shoes while counting cash at the Pilgrim Facilitation Center.
The arrested individuals include Avinash Shukla, Luvkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava. Notably, Tinnu Yadav previously worked as a driver for the former general secretary of the trust, Champat Rai, and was responsible for monitoring the donation boxes. His nephew Manish Yadav was directly involved in the cash counting process. Police have already recovered one lakh rupees from the residence of Tinnu Yadav and two lakh rupees from Manish Yadav.
During the ongoing remand, investigating agencies are interrogating the accused to trace the stolen funds and identify any properties purchased using the embezzled money. Documents related to recovered cash, jewellery and properties belonging to former bank employees Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Mishra have already been presented in court.
The scandal has led to major administrative changes, with senior trust officials Champat Rai and Anil Mishra stepping down from their respective positions. The controversy has also taken a definitive political turn. Opposition parties have announced their firm intent to raise the temple donation theft issue prominently during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament scheduled to begin on July 20.