Ram Mandir Donation Theft: 5 Findings Put Ex-Trustee Anil Mishra Under SIT Scanner

Last Updated:July 08, 2026, 23:14 IST

Meanwhile, police on Wednesday took accused — Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey — into custody for questioning after securing their remand from a local court.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is likely to widen its probe into former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Anil Mishra as it expands its investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, sources told CNN-News18.

According to the sources, investigators have uncovered five key findings that have raised suspicion over Mishra’s alleged role in the case. They added that the Ayodhya Police could soon name him as an accused, although no official announcement has been made so far and nor did police reveal what those five findings are.

Mishra had resigned from the Trust in late June, citing moral grounds, days after the alleged donation box theft case came to light.

Meanwhile, police on Wednesday took three accused — Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey — into custody for questioning after securing their remand from a local court.

During interrogation, investigators recovered an old forged receipt book resembling the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s earlier donation receipts, sources said.

The three accused allegedly told police that they, along with another accused, Tinnu Yadav, initially used the fake receipts to collect donations from devotees visiting the temple. The forged receipts reportedly carried the Trust’s logo and closely resembled the original ones, making it difficult for devotees to detect the fraud. According to investigators, the group stopped using them after the Trust switched to an online receipt system.

A week earlier, police had recovered a donation box labelled “Ramrajya Kosh", carrying an active QR code for digital payments, from a yoga centre in Ayodhya where prime accused Avinash Shukla had allegedly been staying for the past 10 years.

As part of the probe, investigators also took the three accused to the Jaura area along the 14-kosi parikrama route, where they suspect stolen cash was counted and distributed.

Searches were later carried out in Ayodhya’s Milkipur area, including at premises linked to Anukalp Mishra’s relatives, a jewellery trader and a building material dealer in Inayatnagar. Investigators are examining whether properties and goods allegedly purchased by the accused were paid for in cash or through digital transactions.

Separately, the SIT has begun scrutinising bills and vouchers related to major expenditures of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust as part of its expanding investigation.

About the Author

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c...Read More

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