Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft: Probe widens to 30 more employees after 8 arrests
The investigation into the theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been expanded, with police now scrutinising approximately 30 more employees involved in counting cash offerings. Eight people have already been arrested in connection with the case.
Sources familiar with the police investigation said that nearly 50 people were engaged in counting currency notes donated by devotees. Of these, close to 40 were allegedly recruited on the recommendations of officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust or their associates.
Investigators are now checking the backgrounds of these employees and examining whether any of them have accumulated assets disproportionate to their known sources of income after joining the cash-counting operation. The probe has also brought a few senior Trust functionaries under scrutiny, though no criminal culpability has been established against them so far.
A senior police officer in Ayodhya stated: 'This was not merely a case of administrative lapse or an error of judgment, but of deliberate negligence on the part of some people. Sensitive work involving public donations was entrusted through ad-hoc recruitment, with relatives and acquaintances of Trust functionaries finding their way into the system.'
CCTV footage has provided direct evidence against six of the eight arrested accused, allegedly showing them concealing bundles of currency notes inside their clothes, pockets, and shoes while counting donations at the temple’s Pilgrim Facilitation Centre.
The alleged theft came to light after discrepancies in donation accounting prompted the temple administration to seek a police investigation. The Uttar Pradesh government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the Trust saw the resignations of its general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra amid mounting scrutiny.
On June 25, the Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR on a complaint by the Trust and arrested eight men. Among them are Tinnu Yadav, a former driver of Champat Rai, and his nephew Manish Yadav.
The arrests and widening probe follow findings in a nine-page preliminary SIT report, which concluded that the alleged thefts were not isolated acts but were enabled by serious systemic failures in supervision, security, and cash-handling procedures. The report noted at least 70 instances of alleged theft or embezzlement captured on CCTV between April 27 and June 6. It also found that CCTV recordings were retained for only 45 days, despite earlier recommendations for 180-day retention, making it difficult to determine if pilferage had begun earlier.
The investigation continues, with authorities examining the financial records of all employees involved.
