Ram Temple donation theft: Police seek custody of three accused to trace money trail

Police in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya have moved the court seeking custody of three accused from whom substantial amounts of cash were recovered, as part of the ongoing investigation into the Ram Temple donation theft case.

According to the police, custody has been sought to obtain crucial information related to the bank accounts of the accused and to trace the financial trail linked to the recovered money.

Officials said investigators suspect that a portion of the allegedly stolen funds may have been used to purchase various goods. They added that details regarding the alleged "proceeds of crime" can be established only after examining the bank records of the accused.

Police said cash amounting to Rs 14,25,000 was recovered from accused Lavkush Mishra, while Rs 16,82,046 was seized from Anukalp Mishra. Another Rs 18,07,063 was recovered from Karunesh Pandey.

Investigators said that once the relevant bank records are obtained, they will attempt to establish the source of the recovered funds and determine whether the money is linked to the alleged theft.

Officials further stated that the father of accused Karunesh Pandey had claimed that Rs 18 lakh was lying in his wife's bank account. During the proposed custody remand, the police also intend to question the accused about how the money was deposited into his wife's account.

According to the investigating officials, further recoveries may also be possible during the remand period if the source and movement of the recovered funds can be established through the bank records.

Earlier on Monday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the Uttar Pradesh government a few days ago, submitted its preliminary report on the alleged irregularities. The probe, requested by the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, reveals systematic cash theft during the counting process.

According to the SIT, CCTV footage from April 27 to June 5, 2026, captured around 70 instances of counting staff hiding bundles and loose notes in their clothes, shoes, and other personal items. Six individuals -- Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, and Ramashankar Mishra -- have been identified with prima facie evidence of involvement. Cases have been registered against them.

The report highlights major supervisory and procedural lapses. Despite a detailed MoU and SOP (standard operating procedure) signed with the State Bank of India, critical security measures were not followed: no proper frisking at entry/exit, no biometric attendance, no hundi-wise counting, mixing of donations from different boxes, and failure to enforce dress codes or ban personal items. Unauthorised access to donation box keys was also flagged.

Trust officials, including Dr Anil Mishra (former trustee) and counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava, have been held accountable for oversight failures.

The SIT noted recoveries of approximately Rs 78.94 lakh and other items from the accused before the probe began. Bank analysis showed deposits far exceeding their modest salaries.

Meanwhile, the Trust on Monday accepted resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and Anil Mishra on moral grounds and is implementing reforms. The SIT will continue investigating and suggest systemic improvements for transparency.

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