A preliminary SIT report has identified Avinash Shukla as the prime accused in the alleged theft of devotees’ offerings at a Ram temple here, linking him to a 40-day suspected racket involving nearly 70 cases of theft from the donation counting system, sources said on Wednesday.
Sources associated with the temple said the interim findings of the three-member special investigation team were discussed during a meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday.
According to the initial report, Shukla, who was working to count the cash offerings of devotees at the temple, was named accused No. 1 after investigators found what they described as the strongest evidence against him.
The report said the alleged operation revolved around Shukla, which helped investigators identify five other accused and reconstruct the suspected modus operandi inside the temple’s counting room.
The nine-page report, which was submitted to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Prasad on June 23, described the 30-year-old as the focal point of the investigation, sources said.
Prima facie, the special investigation team has identified nearly 70 cases of alleged theft from the temple’s counting room over a period of about 40 days, they added.
According to sources, repeated examination of CCTV camera footage allegedly showed Shukla removing and hiding bundles of cash donation money and loose currency notes during counting operations on multiple occasions.
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Investigators are said to have relied extensively on the footage to track the movement of money and identify the alleged roles of other participants.
Sources said the evidence against Shukla was supported by CCTV footage, recovery records, bank account analysis and witness statements, making him the first of six accused whose apparent involvement has been proven.
The footage also allegedly showed Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey helping Shukla hide and remove donation money, while Manish Kumar Yadav was allegedly coordinating with him inside the counting room, according to sources.
Separate footage provided by Temple Trust representatives showed Rama Shankar Mishra handling and hiding bundles of cash, they added.
Based on the material examined so far, the Special Investigation Team concluded that the apparent involvement of all six accused has been proven, the sources said.
The investigation extended beyond CCTV footage. During searches conducted by Ayodhya police, investigators found the bodies $20.39 lakh in cash, US$ 1,121, gold and silver jewellery, other valuables and an SUV from Shukla’s possession – the largest amount recovered from any accused arrested in the case, according to the report.
Investigators also found cash deposits and bank transactions that were allegedly disproportionate to Shukla’s known income.
The report noted that employees appointed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to calculate donations receive a monthly salary slightly more than their take-home salary. $15,000 after deductions, while Shukla’s banking activity before his arrest was much higher than his known earnings.
Shukla was also the first accused to be remanded in custody during the investigation. Sources said that during searches at his house, police found a donation box bearing the inscription ‘Ramrajya Kush’ and a sticker with an active QR code on it.
The sources added that the police also searched his original residence in Pratapgarh district and are examining his properties there, besides examining his financial transactions and cash holdings over the past few years.
The issue came to light after allegations of stealing donations from devotees from the Ram temple.
Eight people have been arrested so far in connection with the case – Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Rama Shankar alias Tino.
On Monday, a local court approved police custody of Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey for one day after investigators told the court that new evidence emerged during interrogation of the five accused, who were earlier in police custody.
According to the police, recovery cases have exceeded $So far, 79,000 accused have been prosecuted, excluding Subhash Srivastava, whom investigators continue to deal with as part of the alleged conspiracy.
The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a three-member Special Investigation Team to investigate the case. The investigation has since expanded beyond the original FIR.
The team also ordered a re-audit of the Fund’s accounts over the past five years and is examining expenditures incurred in major events over the past two years.
It cited alleged security and procedural lapses in the temple’s donation management system, including inadequate staff inspections, poor CCTV monitoring and weak oversight mechanisms, which investigators believe enabled the alleged repeated removal of funds without immediate detection.
The Special Investigation Team is also examining the role of officials responsible for supervising the donation counting process.
