Ram Temple donation theft: Police seek custody of 3 accused to trace bank trail
Synopsis
CCTV caught counting staff pocketing cash at least 70 times over six weeks — and now police want bank records to prove the money trail. The Ram Temple donation theft case has moved from surveillance footage to financial forensics, with ₹78.94 lakh already recovered and the Trust's own general secretary among those who have stepped down.
Key Takeaways
Ayodhya police have filed a court plea seeking remand custody of three accused — Lavkush Mishra , Anukalp Mishra , and Karunesh Pandey — to trace bank transactions in the Ram Temple donation theft case .
Cash totalling approximately ₹49 lakh was recovered from the three accused; total recoveries before the formal probe reached ₹78.94 lakh .
The SIT found around 70 instances on CCTV footage between 27 April and 5 June 2026 of counting staff hiding currency in clothing and personal items.
Six individuals have been identified with prima facie evidence of involvement; cases have been registered against all six.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust accepted resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Dr Anil Mishra on moral grounds.
The SIT flagged critical procedural failures despite a signed MoU and SOP with the State Bank of India .
Police in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, have approached the court seeking remand custody of three accused in the Ram Temple donation theft case, with investigators aiming to examine bank records and trace the financial movement of cash recovered from the suspects. The custody plea, filed on 7 July, comes as the probe deepens into what the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has described as systematic pilferage of donation funds at the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
What Was Recovered and From Whom
According to police, ₹14,25,000 was recovered from accused Lavkush Mishra, while ₹16,82,046 was seized from Anukalp Mishra. A further ₹18,07,063 was found in the possession of Karunesh Pandey. Investigators have noted that bank deposits linked to the accused appear to far exceed their declared salaries, according to initial financial analysis.
Notably, the father of accused Karunesh Pandey reportedly claimed that ₹18 lakh was held in his wife's bank account. During the proposed remand, police intend to question Pandey about how those funds came to be deposited there.
Why Custody Remand Is Being Sought
Officials stated that the custody is necessary to obtain bank records of the accused and establish whether the recovered cash constitutes proceeds of crime. Investigators also suspect that a portion of the allegedly stolen funds may have been used to purchase goods, and that the complete financial trail can only be reconstructed after scrutinising the relevant accounts. Further recoveries during the remand period are also considered possible, according to police.
SIT Report: Systemic Lapses at the Counting Room
The SIT, constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government at the request of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, submitted its preliminary report on Monday, revealing what it described as systematic cash theft during the donation-counting process. CCTV footage spanning 27 April to 5 June 2026 captured approximately 70 instances of counting staff concealing currency bundles and loose notes in their clothing, shoes, and personal belongings.
Six individuals have been identified with prima facie evidence of involvement: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, and Ramashankar Mishra. Cases have been registered against all six.
The SIT flagged major procedural failures, despite a detailed memorandum of understanding and standard operating procedure signed with the State Bank of India (SBI). Critical safeguards — including proper frisking at entry and exit points, biometric attendance, hundi-wise counting, segregation of donations from different boxes, dress code enforcement, and a ban on personal items — were reportedly not followed. Unauthorised access to donation box keys was also flagged in the report.
Trust Officials Held Accountable
The SIT held Trust officials accountable for oversight failures, naming Dr Anil Mishra, a former trustee, and counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava as responsible for supervisory lapses. The Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and Anil Mishra on moral grounds. Total recoveries from the accused before the formal probe commenced stood at approximately ₹78.94 lakh, along with other items, according to the SIT.
What Comes Next
The SIT is continuing its investigation and is expected to recommend systemic reforms to improve transparency in the donation-counting process at the temple. The Trust has indicated it is already implementing corrective measures. The outcome of the court's decision on the custody plea will determine how quickly investigators can access the financial records central to the case.
Point of View
Yet not a single safeguard was enforced: no frisking, no biometrics, no hundi-wise counting. That 70 instances of theft were captured on CCTV over six weeks without triggering any internal alarm raises uncomfortable questions about whether the oversight architecture at the Trust was ever designed to function. The resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra on 'moral grounds' are a political pressure valve, not an accountability mechanism. The real test is whether the SIT's systemic recommendations — when they come — will be binding, or whether they will join the long list of post-scandal reform reports that gather dust.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ram Temple donation theft case?
The Ram Temple donation theft case involves the alleged systematic pilferage of cash donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. An SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government found approximately 70 instances on CCTV of counting staff concealing currency between 27 April and 5 June 2026, with total recoveries of around ₹78.94 lakh before the formal probe began.
Why are police seeking custody remand of the three accused?
Police have moved the court for remand custody of Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey to access their bank records and establish whether the recovered cash constitutes proceeds of crime. Investigators also believe further recoveries may be possible during the remand period once the financial trail is established.
How much cash was recovered from the accused?
₹14,25,000 was recovered from Lavkush Mishra, ₹16,82,046 from Anukalp Mishra, and ₹18,07,063 from Karunesh Pandey. Total recoveries from all accused before the formal SIT probe stood at approximately ₹78.94 lakh, according to the SIT's preliminary report.
What procedural failures did the SIT identify?
The SIT found that despite a signed MoU and standard operating procedure with the State Bank of India, critical security measures were not followed — including proper frisking, biometric attendance, hundi-wise counting, segregation of donations from different boxes, and a ban on personal items. Unauthorised access to donation box keys was also flagged.
Who has resigned from the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust?
The Trust accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Dr Anil Mishra on moral grounds on Monday. Both were cited in the SIT report for supervisory and oversight failures during the donation-counting process.
