Ayodhya Ram Temple Donation Case: Police Arrest All Eight Accused

Police have arrested all eight people named in the FIR over the alleged embezzlement of donations and offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The case was registered following a complaint filed by Shri Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust.

The accused — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu — were associated with counting cash and valuables received as temple offerings.

Police allege they were caught on CCTV misappropriating donations.

Investigators identified Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu, as the key accused. Police claim he had access to donation boxes and handled temple cash due to his close association with Trust officials.

Allegations that he diverted large sums of money remain under investigation.

Police also named Rama Shankar Mishra, his son Anukalp Mishra and son-in-law Lavkush Mishra in the alleged conspiracy.

Investigators reportedly recovered cash from Lavkush Mishra’s residence during the probe.

Avinash Shukla, a temple attendant, is also among the accused.

According to reports, investigators found ₹5 lakh in his bank account during the investigation.

Police also arrested Manish Kumar Yadav, a relative of Tinnu Yadav, after allegedly recovering stolen cash from his house.

Police arrested former bank employee Subhash Srivastava, who supervised the temple’s cash-counting process, alleging he played a key role in the embezzlement. They also accused Karunesh Pandey of manipulating donation records to conceal the irregularities.

Investigators are continuing the probe to determine the extent of the alleged misappropriation and each accused’s role.

The allegations remain subject to judicial scrutiny. The State Bank of India was authorised to count the temple’s cash, valuables and offerings.

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