The investigation into the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case has widened into a detailed financial probe, with police seeking five years of banking records from seven banks connected to the eight arrested accused and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Police sources said investigators have asked banks to provide account statements, transaction histories, KYC records, deposit details and other financial documents. The objective is to reconstruct the money trail and examine whether any part of the devotees’ offerings was diverted through personal or linked bank accounts.
Money Trail Under Review
Investigators are focusing on cash deposits, withdrawals and transfers made during the period when the accused were allegedly involved in handling temple donation-related work. Police are expected to compare the bank data with official donation records to determine whether the amount deposited into the Trust’s accounts matches the donations collected through the temple’s systems.
The financial records will also be checked against CCTV footage, attendance records, digital entries, cash deposit registers and other documents already collected during the investigation. Officials are trying to establish whether suspicious transactions took place around the same time that donations were counted, managed or deposited.
SBI Branch Becomes Key Focus
The State Bank of India’s Ayodhya Dham branch has become a major point of scrutiny because the Trust’s main donation account is maintained there. Police officials visited the branch and questioned bank staff for nearly four hours on Monday as part of the investigation.
According to SBI sources cited in the case details, the bank had allegedly raised concerns about possible irregularities around three months ago. The bank is also said to have suggested changing the cash-counting staff involved in the donation process. However, sources claimed the warning was not acted upon. The Trust has not publicly responded to the allegation.
Officials also visited six other banks to collect records from accounts allegedly linked to the accused. Police are examining whether the accused maintained personal or salary accounts in those banks and whether any unusual movement of funds can be connected to the alleged theft.
Trust Officials Resign As Probe Expands
The case has also led to changes within the temple administration. Champat Rai, a Vishva Hindu Parishad leader who served as General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, stepped down from his post. Trustee Anil Mishra also resigned amid growing scrutiny over donation handling and oversight systems.
The Special Investigation Team was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 after a request from the Trust. The probe has since widened into allegations of financial irregularities linked to temple donations.
The eight arrested accused have been identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. They were allegedly part of the team responsible for counting and managing cash and valuables donated by devotees.
Temple Donations Continue To Rise
Despite the controversy, donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple have reportedly continued to increase. Daily deposits, which earlier averaged around Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, have now risen to nearly Rs 20 lakh to Rs 24 lakh per day, according to the case details.
The rise is being linked to higher pilgrim footfall during the summer vacation period. Between January 2024 and mid-2026, nearly 12 crore devotees are said to have visited the shrine. On an average day, around 50,000 to 60,000 devotees visit the temple.
Apart from cash, devotees also offer gold, silver, jewellery, clothes and other valuables. Police are now trying to determine whether the systems used to receive, count and deposit these offerings had enough safeguards, and whether any alleged diversion of funds can be proven through banking and documentary evidence.
