Ram Temple ex-trustee Mishra failed to secure donations: SIT

In early June 2026, concerns arose regarding the management of donations at the newly constructed Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. These concerns escalated when discrepancies were discovered in the accounting of contributions made by devotees. In response, the Uttar Pradesh government established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter. The SIT comprised three officials—Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector-General (Lucknow Range) S. Kiran, and Special Secretary in the Finance Department Neelratan Kumar—who submitted a preliminary report to the state government on June 23. This report indicated that there was prima facie evidence of theft and pilferage during the counting of donations at the temple. As a result, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple, filed a petition requesting the registration of a first information report (FIR). The SIT report, obtained by The Hindu, reveals that investigators analyzed CCTV footage from April 27 to June 5. The footage consistently showed certain counting staff concealing bundles of currency notes and loose cash within their clothing, pockets, shoes, and other hidden areas. Other employees were observed assisting or shielding such actions. The SIT identified around 70 suspected incidents of theft or pilferage during the examined period. The report suggests that similar incidents might have occurred before April 27, although the lack of earlier CCTV footage limited the ability to assess their full extent. The SIT collected testimonies from Trust officials, bank staff, security personnel, and counting employees, along with bank records, seizure documents, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The report highlights significant security lapses. Key security measures outlined in the Trust’s SOPs—including frisking, biometric attendance, restrictions on personal items, and CCTV monitoring—were not adequately implemented. These failures created an environment conducive to theft and pilferage. The SIT identified procedural weaknesses in the handling of valuable donations, including irregularities in documentation, weighing, and sealing processes. The report underscores that despite existing protocols, these measures were either ignored or poorly enforced, leading to vulnerabilities in the system. Several individuals have been identified as potentially involved in the theft. Drawing upon CCTV footage, recovery records, financial documents, and witness statements, the SIT named Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, and Ramashankar Mishra as having prima facie involvement in the case. Shukla and Yadav were frequently observed removing or hiding cash, while the others were noted for assisting or participating in similar activities. Yadav’s appointment as counting staff reportedly came on the recommendation of Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu. The SIT is expected to conduct a re-audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s accounts for the past five years. Initial findings indicate significant anomalies and irregularities, prompting a broader examination of the Trust’s financial records. The re-audit will focus on construction-related expenditures, jewelry, and other gold and silver items received as donations. The team has already made several visits to Ayodhya and is expected to return to continue the probe. The SIT’s findings have sparked a wider debate in Uttar Pradesh, with retired police officers suggesting that the CCTV footage, covering a limited timeframe, only scratches the surface of potential issues, particularly considering the high volume of donations during the Maha Kumbh festival due to the influx of visitors. The SIT’s preliminary report, submitted to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad on June 23, identifies Avinash Shukla as the prime accused in the alleged theft of devotees' offerings at the Ram Temple. The report describes Shukla as the focal point of the investigation, citing strong evidence against him. The SIT has identified nearly 70 instances of alleged theft from the temple's counting room over a span of around 40 days. Repeated examination of CCTV footage allegedly showed Shukla removing and concealing bundles of donation cash and loose currency notes during counting operations on multiple occasions. Investigators used the footage extensively to trace the movement of money and identify the alleged roles of other participants. The evidence against Shukla was corroborated by CCTV footage, recovery records, bank account analysis, and witness statements. He is the first among six accused whose involvement has been established. The footage also allegedly showed Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey assisting Shukla in concealing and removing donation money, while Manish Kumar Yadav was allegedly coordinating with him inside the counting room. Separate footage provided by representatives of the temple trust allegedly showed Rama Shankar Mishra handling and concealing cash bundles. Based on the material examined so far, the SIT has concluded that the prima facie involvement of all six accused stands established. The probe extended beyond the CCTV footage. During searches conducted by the Ayodhya police, investigators recovered Rs 20.39 lakh in cash, USD 1,121, gold and silver ornaments, other valuables, and an SUV from Shukla's possession—the largest recovery from any accused arrested in the case, according to the report. Investigators have also found cash deposits and bank transactions allegedly disproportionate to Shukla's known income. The report noted that personnel hired by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for counting donations receive a monthly take-home salary of a little over Rs 15,000 after deductions, whereas Shukla's banking activity prior to his arrest was substantially higher than his known earnings. The case came to light following allegations of theft of devotees' donations from the Ram Temple. Eight people have so far been arrested in connection with the case—Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and others. The investigation has revealed how members of the donation-counting staff gradually exploited gaps in CCTV surveillance and weak enforcement of security protocols, moving from pocketing individual currency notes to allegedly taking bundles of cash from one of the country's most closely watched religious institutions. The SIT probe has also uncovered significant lapses in monitoring and enforcement inside the donation-counting system. The accused took advantage of weak monitoring of CCTV cameras installed in the counting area. Investigators found that the control room was, at times, left unattended, reducing oversight and making it easier for employees to remove cash without immediate detection. The SIT's preliminary findings suggest that the alleged theft was not the result of an absence of safeguards but rather a failure to enforce procedures that were already in place. A detailed framework governing the collection, counting, and banking of donations had been established between the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the State Bank of India (SBI) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and officially recorded meetings held in 2024 and 2025. Under these protocols, donation boxes were to be opened only in the presence of authorized representatives of both the Trust and SBI. Cash was to be counted separately for each donation box, biometric attendance was mandatory, uniforms were required, personal belongings were prohibited inside the counting room, and frisking was to be conducted at both entry and exit points. The SOPs also mandated CCTV monitoring, daily reporting, and regular maintenance of records. However, investigators found that several of these safeguards were either ignored or poorly enforced. One of the most significant findings relates to frisking procedures. According to the SIT, routine and surprise frisking of counting staff, specifically mandated under SOPs issued in February 2025, was not carried out despite being considered a key transparency measure. The probe has also raised questions about how some of the accused entered the donation-counting system. In its preliminary report, the SIT identified Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, and Ramashankar Mishra as members of the counting staff engaged through State Bank of India's outsourced agency, Sainik Security Services (SSS). Investigators said all six were appointed through recommendations made by individuals linked to the Trust, despite safeguards intended to ensure transparency in the selection process. The SIT report also highlights serious lapses by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the State Bank of India. It pins blame for the dilution of the security protocol in the counting room on trustee Anil Mishra, a prominent local leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. However, it does not recommend any action against him. While it does not name Champat Rai, the general secretary of the trust, one of his aides is among the eight staffers that it recommends that the police investigate. The same men have been named as the accused in a first information report filed by the police on June 25. The three-member SIT was formed on June 13 on the request of the temple trust after Opposition leaders and a whistleblower raised questions about how donations were being handled at the temple. It is expected to submit a final report on July 22. The SIT's strongest evidence comes from CCTV footage of the counting room, located in a building within the temple complex. The SIT said