The police are now closely examining the movable and immovable assets of all eight accused after investigators uncovered a significant real estate transaction linked to one of the principal suspects, Lavkush Mishra. According to an earlier report, Mishra had purchased a land parcel worth ₹23 lakh in the Sahadatganj area of Ayodhya, raising further questions about the source of the funds used for the acquisition.
The controversy first surfaced on June 7 after Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan "Pawan" Pandey alleged that donations ranging between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore had been siphoned off from offerings made at the Ram Temple. Since then, investigators have been working to determine the individual roles of the accused and identify the procedural loopholes allegedly exploited to misappropriate the donation money.
The eight arrested accused in the case are Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as "Tinnu," Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Rama Shankar Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey. Police officials stated that cash recoveries have now been made from seven of the eight accused, with the total amount recovered reaching ₹79.85 lakh.
According to the investigation, approximately ₹20.40 lakh has been recovered from Avinash Shukla, ₹18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey, ₹16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra, ₹14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, ₹7.32 lakh from Rama Shankar Mishra, ₹2 lakh from Manish Yadav, and ₹1 lakh from Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as "Tinnu." No cash recovery has been reported from the residence of the eighth accused, Subhash Srivastava.
Police officials further disclosed that of the amount recovered from properties linked to Avinash Shukla, ₹12 lakh was found inside his room, while approximately ₹8.4 lakh was returned to the Temple Trust by his brother last week. Investigators also recovered foreign currency amounting to approximately 900 to 1,000 United States dollars from Avinash Shukla, according to an officer who requested anonymity.
The investigation has also revealed family and professional links among several of the accused. Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra are related to each other and are also related to Temple Trust member Anil Mishra, who resigned last week. Similarly, Ram Shankar Yadav, an aide to the Trust's General Secretary Champat Rai, is related to Manish Yadav. Champat Rai also resigned from his position last week.
The probe has additionally turned its focus toward the role of Sainik Security Services, the agency engaged in connection with cash handling operations. According to records available in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs database, the company was incorporated in its present form in December 2017 with a registered address in Varanasi and a paid-up capital of ₹1 lakh. The agency had been hired by the State Bank of India, Naya Ghat Branch, to provide personnel for cash-counting operations.
Gaurav Singh, owner and director of Sainik Security Services, stated that the State Bank of India branch had recommended 19 names for the cash-counting team. However, the agency has categorically denied any involvement in the alleged embezzlement. Singh said the company recruited 22 personnel and deployed them to the State Bank of India branch in Ayodhya solely for housekeeping services. According to him, the agency had no authority over the duties assigned to those employees after deployment.
"We were engaged only to provide housekeeping staff to the State Bank of India branch in Ayodhya. What duties these employees eventually performed and why they performed them is for the bank to explain," Singh said.
As investigators continue to examine financial transactions, property acquisitions, cash recoveries, and institutional procedures, the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case has emerged as one of the most significant financial investigations linked to a major religious institution. With fresh recoveries, expanding asset verification, and scrutiny of operational responsibilities, the investigation remains focused on uncovering the complete extent of the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.
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