Ram Temple donation theft probe uncovers alleged cash embezzlement scheme.
CCTV evidence helped arrest eight suspects in the Ayodhya temple case.
Investigation exposed security lapses in Ram Temple donation counting process.
The investigation into the alleged theft of donation funds at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has gathered pace, with CCTV footage from Apri 271 to June 5 giving the Special Investigation Team (SIT) crucial evidence of how money was being siphoned off.
At least eight suspects have been arrested so far, and Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, has stepped down from his post.
Trust officials grew suspicious in late May after noticing that bundles of Rs 500 notes were consistently falling short when donation boxes, which typically held Rs 6 to 7 lakh each, were opened, Times Now reported.
It said that hidden cameras installed in the counting room reportedly showed one employee positioning himself in front of visible CCTV units while another quietly removed notes from bundles and hid them in his clothing.
A second method allegedly involved deliberately inserting extra notes into bundles during counting. Since bank officials counted bundles rather than individual notes, the surplus would later be removed before deposit, leaving the final amount matching the voucher while cash was pocketed in between, the report said.
Anukalp Mishra, who prepared donation vouchers, is said to have carried this out with his brother in law, Lav Kush Mishra, from whose residence police reportedly recovered substantial sums. Investigators found that most staff involved in the process had been hired through personal connections, including Tinnu Yadav, Champat Rai's driver turned manager, who allegedly brought in his cousin Manish Yadav.
A key lapse identified was that staff were never searched after their shifts, allowing cash to be carried out gradually. Footage involving Avinash Pandey reportedly matched the dates of stolen amounts with deposits made into his personal account, with the theft apparently occurring even before boxes were officially opened and counted.
The FIR notes that oral, documentary and electronic evidence point to repeated embezzlement by certain employees, though several claims circulating in media and online were found to have no basis.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said action followed swiftly once the SIT submitted its findings, with all eight named accused arrested. Speaking in Deoria, he accused unnamed political parties of trying to defame Ayodhya out of frustration, insisting that anyone found guilty would face strict consequences.
