The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple is in progress and Uttar Pradesh Police is reconstructing the entire donation counting and cash-handling process during a 14-hour remand interrogation of the two arrested accused.
As police sources say, investigators recreated all aspects of the donation management system—from opening the temple donation boxes to transporting, counting, packaging and depositing the cash into designated bank accounts. This exercise was done to detect any loopholes in the highly secure donation counting process that may have been exploited.
Police Recreate Entire Cash Handling Process
The reconstruction was on how donations collected from devotees traveled through different stages inside the temple complex.
Investigators questioned Subhash Shrivastava in detail about his official responsibilities, deployment of staff and the security protocols followed during the counting of donations.
Ramashankar Mishra, the second accused, was extensively questioned about his role in transporting cash from the donation boxes to the counting room.
Police believe recreating the process will help to determine whether the alleged embezzlement was done by exploiting procedural lapses or by deliberately manipulating the counting process.
Documents and CCTV DVR Seized
As part of the investigation, police also took one of the accused to his rented accommodation where officials found several documents in a bag.
According to sources, the rented room has now been sealed while investigators seized the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) containing CCTV footage from Ramashankar Mishra’s residence.
The recovered documents relate to “land transactions” and the investigators are now looking into whether the misappropriated funds were invested in property or other assets.
Officials are now looking into whether the embezzled money was used for real estate purchases or other investments.
SIT Report Expected Within 24-48 Hours
Meanwhile, the SIT investigating the case will also submit the final report to the Uttar Pradesh government within 24 to 48 hours, sources said.
The investigation is nearing completion and no further extension is likely to be granted, the officials said.
The SIT had received a 15-day extension on July 1 to investigate all aspects of the alleged donation embezzlement.
CCTV Footage Revealed Around 70 Suspicious Incidents
The SIT preliminary findings painted a disturbing picture of the alleged irregularities.
According to the report, “around 70 suspicious incidents” were recorded on CCTV footage between April 27 and June 5, 2026. They said that counting staff members were seen hiding bundles of cash while handling donations.
The preliminary report also disclosed several security lapses that may have made the alleged crime possible.
The shortcomings identified were:
- No employee frisking at entry and exit points.
- Poor monitoring of personal belongings in the counting room.
- Cash collected from multiple donation boxes being counted together instead of being handled separately.
Investigators believe these procedural weaknesses created opportunities for the alleged embezzlement.
Cash Recovery and Ongoing Probe
The SIT report states that “Rs 78.94 lakh” was recovered from some employees before the investigation formally began.
And Rs 2.25 lakh was recovered from a bathroom in the donation counting room on June 4, 2026.
The investigation has also addressed many of the rumours that circulated on social media.
According to the SIT, no prima facie evidence exists to support reports that “silver bricks or other valuable offerings” donated by devotees had gone missing.
And with the final report due by now, investigators are now looking to trace the money trail, identify all involved individuals and suggest a strengthening of the Ram Temple’s donation management system to prevent similar incidents in the future.
