Ayodhya: Fresh raids, recoveries in Ram temple donation theft case

Ayodhya (UP): Ayodhya police on Wednesday conducted fresh searches as part of their ongoing investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, and recovered a donation box with a QR code and seized cash, gold, silver, and foreign currency, police sources said.

Police also conducted an extensive search at the residence of the accused Lavkush Mishra combing through stacks of dry fodder.

Sources said that Lavkush's father, Bachchu Lal Mishra, was taken into custody for questioning.


According to police sources, cash recoveries made so far from the accused include Rs 20.39 lakh from Avinash Shukla, Rs 18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey, Rs 16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra, Rs 14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, Rs 7.32 lakh from Ramashankar Mishra and Rs 1 lakh from Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu.

Additionally, the police recovered approximately 11 grams of gold, about 375 grams of silver, and USD 1,121 during the investigation, sources added.

In another development, police recovered a donation box labelled "Ramrajya Kosh", bearing a Paytm QR code, from a yoga centre in Ayodhya where the accused Avinash Shukla had been residing for the past 10 years, sources stated.

Sundar Lal, a yoga instructor at the centre, told PTI that the police had first raided the premises on June 5, inspected the CCTV footage and searched the room where Shukla stayed.

"The police arrived with Avinash and required us to vacate the premises where he was living. After they left, we learned that Rs 5 lakh had been recovered from his possession," Lal said.

The investigation has also widened to cover the role of around 400 private security personnel deployed at the temple complex. Police are scrutinising their duty rosters, CCTV footage, entry and exit records, and other activities to ascertain whether security protocols were violated or whether anyone facilitated the alleged embezzlement.

Sources stated that legal action would be initiated against any security personnel found to have ignored rules or assisted in the theft.

The controversy erupted on June 7 after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its preliminary findings on June 23, following which an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight persons associated with the temple's donation-counting process were arrested.

The probe gathered further momentum on Tuesday when police questioned the accused Avinash Shukla inside the district jail after obtaining court permission.

Investigators also recorded the statement of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, who recently offered to resign, taking "moral responsibility" for the controversy.