Counting room strategy, cash trail: What Ram Temple theft accused told cops

One of the eight accused arrested in the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case has revealed details of the suspected operation, including the misuse of access to the donation counting process, money trail and alleged lapses in the surveillance system, police said.

After receiving court permission, police interrogated Avinash Shukla for nearly two hours on Tuesday, during which he admitted to stealing crores of rupees and described the alleged sequence of events, sources said.

During the interrogation, the name of temple trustee Anil Mishra surfaced again, with the accused claiming that he had an important role in the donation counting process.

Amid growing scrutiny over the temple's donation handling and oversight mechanisms. Mishra and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai resigned last week.

Besides Shukla, the seven others arrested in the case are Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav, described as a close associate of Champat Rai; counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava; counting staff members Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Ram Shankar Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey.

COUNTING ROOM ACCESS, CCTV GAPS

According to the sources, Avinash Shukla told police that Tinnu Yadav had access to one of the keys of the donation counting room, while another key was held by bank employees.

He claimed that the theft was carried out through coordination between multiple people, with one person taking the money while others allegedly created a cover around him.

Investigators were reportedly told that all the accused were familiar with the location of cameras installed inside the complex.

They allegedly used this knowledge to avoid detection and hid the money in places such as bathrooms before removing it later whenever they found an opportunity.

Shukla further claimed that their proximity to people associated with the trust meant they faced little suspicion and were not closely monitored.

SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, MONEY TRAIL

The accused also told police that cameras installed inside the temple complex were monitored from a control room, but surveillance staff were not actively tracking their movements.

Meanwhile, the stolen money was allegedly used to purchase land and a house, according to Shukla's confession.

Police are now examining the financial trail and assets linked to the accused as part of the investigation.

The probe is also focusing on how the alleged theft continued for a period of time without detection and whether more people were involved.

RS 58 LAKH RECOVERED BEFORE SIT PROBE

In the wake of the theft allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13 to probe the case.

It was, however, revealed earlier this week that the Trust recovered Rs 58 lakh from Avinash Shukla's house on June 5, which predates the registration of the FIR into the case.

Meanwhile, the remaining money was returned via bank transfers between June 5 to 8.

This suggests that efforts to recover the embezzled money had already begun before the matter formally entered the legal process.

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