Ayodhya: The ongoing investigation into the alleged theft of public donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir has witnessed massive developments with two top resignations and eight key arrests. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has officially accepted the resignations of its General Secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra on July 6, 2026. This administrative shakeup comes in the wake of a massive financial scandal that has deeply hurt the sentiments of countless devotees.
A Special Investigation Team has been actively probing the embezzlement case to uncover the entire network. The investigation agency officially arrested eight individuals on June 26, 2026. These accused face strict charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Authorities noted that the arrested suspects held crucial responsibilities in managing and counting the daily cash offerings made by the public.
The list of arrested individuals includes a retired bank employee named Subhash Srivastava who acted as the cash counting in charge. Another key accused is Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu who is known to be a close associate of Champat Rai and oversaw the donation boxes. Other arrested members who managed the cash counting and supervision process include Avinash Shukla Anukalp Mishra Lavkush Mishra Karunesh Pandey Manish Yadav and Ramashankar Mishra.
The Special Investigation Team has already recovered substantial amounts of stolen cash from the accused. According to official sources the recoveries include over twenty lakh rupees from Avinash Shukla and eighteen lakh rupees from Karunesh Pandey. Investigators also seized over sixteen lakh rupees from Anukalp Mishra and fourteen lakh rupees from Lavkush Mishra. Lakhs of rupees were similarly recovered from the other associates while the financial probe regarding Subhash Srivastava remains ongoing.
While these arrests and administrative resignations mark a decisive step toward justice the public continues to demand absolute accountability. Devotees and citizens are raising five crucial questions regarding the future of the temple trust. People are asking if merely accepting the resignations is sufficient or if further legal action will be initiated against senior leaders. The public is also questioning whether the trust will implement stricter security measures to protect the funds. Most importantly devotees want to know if a complete financial audit will be provided and if the final investigation report will be made entirely public.