Inside the Ayodhya Counting Room: SIT Probe Finds 70 Alleged Instances of Donation Theft

An SIT probe into alleged theft from Ram Mandir donations has found 70 suspected incidents on CCTV, procedural lapses, and eight arrests, including a former trust official.

Jul 16, 2026 - 18:04

Inside the Ayodhya Counting Room: SIT Probe Finds 70 Alleged Instances of Donation Theft

Security personnel outside the Ram Mandir donation counting facility in Ayodhya under SIT investigation

AYODHYA — A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on June 13, 2026, has uncovered significant procedural lapses in how donations are handled at the Ram Mandir, following allegations of systematic theft from the temple's cash-counting facility.

Eight people have been arrested so far in connection with the case, including Ramshankar Yadav, alias "Tinnu," and counting supervisor Subhash Srivastava, along with Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra.

What the SIT Found

According to the SIT's preliminary report, investigators identified 70 alleged instances of theft or embezzlement from available CCTV footage of the counting room. However, the report noted that footage had only been retained between April 27 and June 6, 2026, rather than the recommended 180-day period, meaning investigators could not determine whether similar incidents occurred earlier.

The report cited weak supervision, inadequate surveillance monitoring, relaxed security checks, and irregularities in how cash offerings were counted and recorded. It found that some individuals controlled access to donation boxes without formal written approval, and that staff were not consistently frisked while entering or exiting the counting room.

Recruitment Under Scrutiny

The investigation has also examined how counting-room staff were hired. According to reports citing police sources, then-trust general secretary Champat Rai, who has since resigned, had delegated full authority over recruitment of cash-handling personnel to trustee Anil Mishra, who is also named as an accused in the case.

What's Next

The SIT continues to investigate whether individuals beyond those already arrested were involved, and how the accused gained access to a facility intended to be among the country's most secure. The case has drawn national attention given the scale of donations the Ram Mandir receives from devotees.