A preliminary report from a Special Investigation Team has named Avinash Shukla as the main suspect in the suspected theft of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The findings connect him to a possible 40-day scheme with around 70 instances of money taken from the donation counting process, according to sources.
The three-member team’s interim conclusions were reviewed during a meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday. The nine-page document, given to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad on June 23, positioned Shukla, aged 30, as the central figure in the probe and indicated the suspected scheme centered on him.
Per the initial report, Shukla, hired to tally cash offerings from visitors at the temple, was listed as the first accused once investigators identified what they called the strongest evidence against him. This allowed them to name five additional suspects and outline the alleged method used inside the counting room.
Sources noted that repeated reviews of CCTV recordings appeared to show Shukla taking and hiding bundles of donation cash and loose notes during counting sessions on multiple days.
Investigators used the recordings extensively to track money movement and determine the claimed parts played by others. The report stated that evidence against him drew on CCTV material, seizure documents, bank record reviews and statements from witnesses.
The recordings also appeared to show Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey helping Shukla hide and remove donation funds, while Manish Kumar Yadav was allegedly working with him in the counting room, sources added.
Additional recordings supplied by temple trust representatives appeared to show Rama Shankar Mishra handling and hiding cash bundles. Based on material reviewed so far, the SIT has determined that initial involvement of all six suspects is established, sources said.
The inquiry extended past video evidence. Searches by Ayodhya police yielded Rs 20.39 lakh in cash, USD 1,121, gold and silver items, other valuables and an SUV from Shukla’s possession, described in the report as the largest seizure from any arrested suspect in the matter.
Officials also found cash deposits and bank activity allegedly exceeding his known earnings. The report observed that staff hired by the trust for counting donations receive a monthly salary slightly above Rs 15,000 after deductions, whereas Shukla’s banking activity before arrest exceeded his declared income.
Searches at his home also recovered a donation box marked Ramrajya Kosh with an active QR code attached, sources said. Police searched his family home in Pratapgarh district and are checking properties there while reviewing his financial dealings and cash holdings over recent years.
The matter surfaced after claims of theft of visitor donations from the Ram Temple. Eight individuals have been detained so far: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu.
On Monday, a local court approved one-day police custody for Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey after investigators informed the court that new evidence had surfaced during questioning of five earlier suspects.
Police reported recoveries above Rs 79 lakh from the accused so far, excluding Subhash Srivastava, whom investigators still view as part of the alleged plot.
The Uttar Pradesh government formed the three-member SIT to examine the case, and the inquiry has broadened beyond the original complaint. The team ordered a fresh audit of the trust’s accounts for the past five years and is reviewing spending on major events over the last two years.
It has also noted alleged security and procedural gaps in the temple’s donation handling system, including insufficient checks on staff, limited CCTV oversight and weak supervision, and is assessing the role of officials overseeing the counting process.
Overall, the preliminary SIT report centers Shukla in the suspected theft of temple offerings, connects six suspects to the alleged scheme, and indicates the probe now covers financial reviews, account re-audits and checks on security and oversight shortfalls in the donation counting system.
