The accused, all in judicial custody, are due to be produced before a local court on Monday as investigators examine whether money allegedly siphoned from temple offerings was converted into property, vehicles or other assets. Police teams carried out coordinated searches at the residences of all eight accused, with officials also questioning family members and checking financial records linked to movable and immovable assets.
The case centres on allegations that donations and offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple were misappropriated by persons connected to cash handling and temple operations. Investigators have so far recovered ₹79.85 lakh linked to the case. The probe was triggered after a complaint from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and a subsequent special investigation team report.
The eight accused have been identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. Six of them are understood to have been associated with cash counting work at the temple. Investigators are examining CCTV footage, cash movement records and the internal system used for collecting, counting and depositing offerings.
The raids took place against the backdrop of an unusual development in Ayodhya’s legal community. Local lawyers have indicated that they may not represent the accused, citing anger over the alleged theft of offerings linked to one of the country’s most closely watched religious sites. The matter is expected to be placed before the general body of the Faizabad Bar Association for a final decision.
Such a stand, if formally adopted, could complicate the accused persons’ access to local legal counsel at a sensitive stage of the proceedings. While advocates may decline briefs individually, a collective refusal in a criminal case can raise questions over the right of accused persons to defence and the functioning of a fair trial process. The court could still ensure representation through legal aid or counsel from outside the local bar if required.
The temple town has seen strong public reaction because the case involves offerings made by devotees after the consecration of the Ram Temple in January 2024. Ayodhya has since seen heavy pilgrim traffic, expanded civic works and rising political attention, making the handling of temple donations a matter of both religious sentiment and public accountability.
The controversy has also affected the temple trust’s leadership. Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and trustee Anil Mishra have offered to step down after the allegations surfaced. Trust functionaries have sought to reassure devotees that donations remain safe and that the investigation will be allowed to proceed fairly.
The financial trail is now the central focus of the police inquiry. Investigators are looking at whether any accused showed a sudden rise in wealth, including land purchases, house construction, vehicles or other assets inconsistent with known income. Bank officials involved in receiving or depositing temple funds are also under scrutiny as police examine whether weaknesses in the deposit chain enabled alleged misappropriation.
The case has quickly moved into the political arena. Opposition leaders have demanded a deeper probe and greater transparency in the management of temple donations, while the ruling side has dismissed political attacks as attempts to exploit religious sentiment. The exchanges have added pressure on investigators to show that the inquiry is not limited to lower-level functionaries if evidence points to supervisory failure.
