The investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has gathered pace, with police examining the land and bank records of the accused to determine whether their assets qualify as "proceeds of crime". Investigators have also obtained what is believed to be the first photograph showing two of the accused inside the temple's cash counting facility, strengthening the case against them.
Police sources said they have sought records of land parcels owned by the accused and their family members from the Revenue Department. Around 20 land records have already been received and are currently being verified.
Investigators are examining when these properties were purchased and whether the acquisitions took place after the accused became associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. If the purchases were made during their tenure with the Trust, the properties could be classified as "proceeds of crime", sources said.
Earlier on Friday, acting on information provided by the main accused, Avinash Shukla, Ayodhya police seized a four-wheeler, identifying it as an alleged "proceeds of crime".
Investigators also uncovered what is believed to be the location where the accused allegedly distributed the stolen donations among themselves.
During police remand, Shukla was taken to a site near the 14-Kosi Parikrama route in Ayodhya, where he reportedly identified the exact spot used to divide the cash.
According to sources, eight accused, including Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Kamlesh Pandey and Tinu Yadav, gathered there after the theft to distribute the stolen donations.
Police officials questioned Shukla at the spot, where he allegedly reconstructed the sequence of events and explained how the money was shared among the group members.
Sources said the location was also used to conceal valuables linked to the crime. Acting on Shukla's disclosure, investigators recovered a valuable item hidden near the same site. While officials have not disclosed the nature of the recovered object, it is believed to be a significant piece of evidence that could strengthen the prosecution's case.
The recovery has provided fresh leads into the alleged conspiracy. Investigators are tracing the movement of the stolen property, examining the roles of each accused, and verifying statements recorded during police remand. They are also probing whether additional evidence or valuables remain hidden.
Meanwhile, fresh evidence has emerged in the form of a photograph showing accused Avinash Shukla and Anukalp Mishra inside the temple's cash counting facility. Investigators believe the image is significant as it places the duo inside the room where devotees' offerings were counted and processed.
Both Shukla and Anukalp Mishra are among the eight people arrested in the case. The others include Tinnu Yadav, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra and retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava.
According to police sources, the accused allegedly exploited lapses in the surveillance system. Investigators claim the CCTV control room was not being properly monitored, allowing cash to be removed without immediate detection.
CCTV footage reportedly shows some of the accused taking money from the counting area. Initially, they allegedly tried to avoid the cameras but later acted openly after realising that no one was actively monitoring the surveillance feeds.
The probe has also focused on the recruitment process for employees assigned to handle temple donations.
According to investigators, then Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, who has since resigned, had delegated complete authority over the recruitment of cash-counting staff to trustee Anil Mishra, who is also an accused in the case.
Following the increase in devotees after the temple's inauguration, the Trust recruited 10 new employees in March 2025. Investigators said all applicants were interviewed by Anil Mishra after being referred by Champat Rai. They reportedly met Mishra on March 4, received appointment letters two days later, and subsequently joined duty.
The enquiry has highlighted several alleged security lapses during the recruitment process. Initially, the new employees were not issued official identity cards and were allowed entry into the temple premises using only duty sheets issued by the Trust. Each employee reportedly received a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 and worked from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Investigators have further revealed that cash counting was conducted at two locations within the temple complex. Following the surge in donations after the Kumbh pilgrimage, an additional counting centre was set up to manage the increased volume of offerings.
One counting centre operated from the Pilgrim Facilitation Centre (PFC) building, while the other functioned from a police post within the temple premises. Newly recruited employees were primarily assigned to the police post, where they sorted currency notes, prepared bundles and operated counting machines.
Police sources said Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey and Lav Kush Mishra were posted at the police post counting centre. After several staff members, including Swatantra Pandey, Ravindranath, Tarun Malviya and Himanshu Tripathi, left their positions, Manish Kumar Yadav and Ramashankar Mishra were inducted into the counting team.
The main counting facility in the basement of the PFC building also housed the CCTV monitoring room, a staff dining area and a State Bank of India counter where counted cash was deposited. Security arrangements included personnel from SIS Security and, on certain occasions, CRPF personnel.
Despite these measures, investigators allege that surveillance remained inadequate. Although two or three staff members were assigned to monitor CCTV feeds, they were reportedly often absent from the monitoring room, resulting in ineffective supervision. While the CCTV display screen was located in the same room where cash was counted, officials believe oversight remained weak.
Retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava, another accused in the case, was responsible for overseeing the cash counting process. His duties included receiving money extracted from donation boxes, supervising the counting operation and ensuring the funds were deposited with the State Bank of India.
According to sources, there was no systematic record of jewellery donations, making it relatively easy to steal such valuables.
The alleged theft first came to light in February after a member of the counting team informed Srivastava that money was being stolen during the counting process. Srivastava allegedly responded, "God is watching, it's not as if it's going from your or my house."
A total of eight accused have been arrested in connection with the case. The FIR was registered at Ayodhya Kotwali police station on a complaint filed by Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Those named in the FIR include Trust employees Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra and Avinash Shukla, along with Ramshankar Yadav and retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava.
The case was registered after a three-member SIT flagged several irregularities at multiple levels in its preliminary report. The investigation is continuing, with officials expected to question the remaining accused and analyse the recovered evidence before filing further submissions in court.
