Ayodhya: Fresh disclosures in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case have raised questions over the actual scale of the scam, with sources claiming the amount siphoned off could be more than Rs 5 crore, significantly higher than the Rs 80 lakh recovery shown during the police investigation.
According to sources familiar with the probe, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has come across evidence suggesting that temple trust functionaries had themselves recovered between Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 3 crore from the accused soon after the theft came to light. However, only about one-third of that amount was disclosed before the SIT and shown as official recovery. There has been no official confirmation of these claims.
Sources alleged that after discrepancies in the donation collections were detected, trust officials examined CCTV footage, identified the suspects and began recovering the cash even before the formal investigation gathered pace. The alleged objective was to recover the remaining amount and resolve the matter internally. When the case became public, efforts continued for nearly a week before an SIT probe was sought, sources claimed.
Investigators are also examining claims that while around Rs 3 crore was allegedly recovered by the trust, another Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore had already been spent by the accused. If verified, the total amount involved in the alleged theft could exceed Rs 5 crore.
The investigation has also taken a new turn after accused Subhash Srivastava, who was in charge of counting donated cash, was questioned during police custody. According to sources, he admitted his involvement in the conspiracy and claimed the theft of donation money had surfaced months earlier as well, with trust officials allegedly aware of the irregularities. He reportedly told investigators that no action was taken at that time, but when a much larger amount went missing this time, trust functionaries themselves initiated recovery from the accused.
Police have so far arrested eight accused in the case, including Tinnu Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Yadav, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra. As the investigation progresses, police have been obtaining custody remand of the accused to confront them with fresh evidence.
During questioning, Subhash allegedly told investigators that the conspiracy was primarily planned by Tinnu Yadav, Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra, who decided when and how the cash would be siphoned off. He claimed Tinnu Yadav played the central role and exercised powers comparable to those of senior trust functionaries, making other staff reluctant to question his actions.
Subhash also reportedly told investigators that he had been serving at the temple voluntarily for several years without drawing any salary. According to sources, he suggested that although he eventually became part of the conspiracy, he initially felt unable to oppose the activities because of Tinnu Yadav's influence and his close proximity to senior trust officials.
Investigators were also told that members of the alleged racket were deliberately not assigned duty on days when only coins were counted, as stealing coins was considered impractical compared to currency notes. Instead, different staff members were deployed for coin counting.
Police are now verifying details of assets allegedly acquired by some of the accused and are examining the possible involvement of additional persons whose names surfaced during interrogation.
The political controversy surrounding the case also intensified, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav describing the alleged theft of devotees' offerings as a "black stain" on the BJP. He alleged that the scandal had exposed the functioning of leaders associated with the BJP, RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and accused the ruling party of attempting to divert public attention through "childish statements."
The SIT investigation is continuing, and officials have not officially confirmed the claims regarding the higher recovery or the total amount allegedly stolen. Police are expected to question more suspects as the probe widens.
