Rs 2 Lakh In Cash, Expensive Mobile Phone To Female Friend: Shocking Details Emerge In Ram Mandir Donation Theft Case

New Delhi: The investigation into the alleged theft of donation funds from the Ram Mandir has gathered pace, with Ayodhya Police on Saturday interrogating five accused inside the Ayodhya District Jail after fresh financial evidence pointed to transactions exceeding Rs 15 lakh that are suspected to be linked to the stolen donations.

The interrogation is being led by Circle Officer (CO) Ashutosh Tiwari, the investigating officer in the case, who reached the district jail along with a police team to record the statements of the accused.

The five accused being questioned are Anukalp Mishra, Lav-Kush Mishra, Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Karunesh Pandey, and Manish Yadav. Police officials said their statements are being recorded inside the jail, and depending on the outcome of the questioning, they could be taken into police custody one by one for further interrogation.

The latest development comes days after another accused, Avinash Shukla, was questioned inside the jail before being taken into police custody for further investigation.

According to investigators, police have uncovered details of financial transactions worth more than Rs 15 lakh allegedly carried out by Avinash Shukla. The probe has revealed that he transferred money to multiple individuals while also distributing cash to others.

Investigators are now examining whether these transactions were funded through the alleged siphoning of Ram Mandir donation money.

The investigation has also found that Avinash allegedly gifted around ₹2 lakh in cash and an expensive mobile phone to a female friend. Police are now verifying the source of the funds used for these gifts.

Investigators said Avinash reportedly failed to give a satisfactory explanation when his brother questioned him about the sudden flow of money. Later, when his brother Abhishek sought an explanation from co-accused Anukalp Mishra, Anukalp allegedly claimed that devotees voluntarily gave money at the temple and that payments were also received from devotees in return for assistance in facilitating darshan.

Police are now verifying the authenticity of these claims and examining whether the money was legitimately earned or diverted from temple donations.

The interrogation of the five accused is expected to help investigators establish the alleged conspiracy, trace the money trail, identify beneficiaries of the suspected misappropriated funds, and determine whether more people were involved in the theft of donations made by devotees at the Ram Mandir.

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