Daijiworld Media Network - Ayodhya
Ayodhya, Jul 7: Uttar Pradesh Police have approached a court seeking the custodial remand of three accused in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case as investigators attempt to trace the financial trail of cash recovered during the probe.
According to officials, the custodial interrogation is necessary to examine the bank accounts of the accused and determine the origin and movement of the money allegedly linked to the theft of temple donations.
Police believe that part of the suspected stolen amount may have been used to purchase various items. Investigators said scrutiny of the accused persons' banking transactions would help establish whether the recovered cash constitutes proceeds of the alleged crime.
During the investigation, police recovered Rs 14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, Rs 16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra and Rs 18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey.
Officials said they would analyse bank records to verify the source of these funds and identify any transactions connected with the alleged embezzlement of donations.
Investigators also plan to question Karunesh Pandey regarding funds deposited in his wife's bank account after his father reportedly claimed that around Rs 18 lakh was held there. Police hope the custodial remand will help clarify how the money was deposited and whether it is linked to the alleged offence.
Authorities added that additional recoveries may be possible if further evidence emerges regarding the movement or utilisation of the recovered funds.
The development comes a day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted its preliminary findings into the alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
The inquiry, initiated following a request from the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, concluded that cash theft had allegedly occurred systematically during the counting of donations.
According to the SIT, CCTV footage recorded between April 27 and June 5, 2026, allegedly showed around 70 instances of counting staff concealing bundles of cash and loose currency notes inside their clothing, footwear and personal belongings.
The investigation identified six individuals—Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra—as having prima facie involvement in the alleged theft, following which criminal cases were registered against them.
The SIT also highlighted serious procedural and supervisory lapses in the donation counting process. Despite an agreement and standard operating procedures framed with the State Bank of India, several safeguards were allegedly ignored, including the absence of frisking at entry and exit points, lack of biometric attendance, failure to count donations separately for each collection box, mixing of cash from different donation boxes, non-enforcement of dress code restrictions and unrestricted carrying of personal belongings into the counting area.
The report further noted that unauthorised access to the keys of donation boxes had also been detected.
Former trustee Dr. Anil Mishra and donation counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava were held responsible for supervisory failures during the process.
Investigators said cash and valuables worth nearly Rs 78.94 lakh had already been recovered from the accused before the SIT began its inquiry. Preliminary analysis of bank records also indicated deposits significantly exceeding the accused persons' known sources of income.
Meanwhile, the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted the resignations of its General Secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Anil Mishra on moral grounds and has initiated administrative reforms aimed at strengthening transparency and oversight. The SIT will continue its investigation while recommending additional measures to improve the management of temple donations.