In the high-security counting rooms beneath the newly consecrated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, under the soft glow of CCTV monitors, millions of rupees in physical cash offered by faithful devotees were systematically pocketed over six weeks. What began as a whisper of missing offerings quickly evolved into a national political firestorm, threatening public trust in India’s most prominent spiritual project.

Months of judicial scrutiny, forensic financial analysis, and targeted police operations culminated in a definitive investigative outcome. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government formally exonerated the top executive leadership of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, pinning criminal culpability on a network of cash-counting workers and supervisory staff.

August 2026: Exoneration, Judicial Scrutiny, and the Sealed Verdict

On August 18, 2026, the Uttar Pradesh Home Department transmitted the final investigation report of the Special Investigation Team to the executive body of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The report provided a complete clearance for Champat Rai, the former General Secretary of the Trust, and Anil Mishra, a former key trustee. Both officials had resigned on June 27, 2026, amid widespread public outrage and political demands for executive accountability.

During interrogation by investigators, Rai denied any personal involvement in the misappropriation, asserting that he had personally lodged complaints that led directly to the identification and arrest of the culprits. Rai informed authorities that maintaining the integrity of the donation pipeline was his primary responsibility and that he moved swiftly to initiate law enforcement intervention the moment concrete evidence of misconduct emerged.

The SIT's final findings explicitly restricted criminal liability to eight individuals directly involved in the physical handling, counting, and transport of cash offerings. The named accused include:

• Avinash Shukla: Cash counting staff member.

• Anukalp Mishra: Cash counting staff member.

• Lavkush Mishra: Cash counting staff member.

• Manish Kumar Yadav: Cash counting staff member.

• Karunesh Pandey: Cash counting staff member.

• Ramashankar Mishra: Cash counting staff member.

• Subhash Srivastava: Counting room supervisor representing bank operations.

• Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu: General counting supervisor and associate of trust administration.

Just hours prior to the report’s delivery to the Trust, on August 17, 2026, the Supreme Court of India convened to hear public interest litigation demanding independent oversight and full public disclosure of the probe. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, declined to release the SIT's progress report to the public or the petitioners.

Addressing arguments in court, CJI Surya Kant stated that the primary objective of the judiciary was ensuring that the investigation under the registered First Information Report (FIR) reached its logical conclusion without being compromised by trial-by-media or political posturing. The Supreme Court directed the court-supervised SIT to submit a complete status report in a sealed cover, emphasizing that structural remedies and reforms regarding temple donation management would be formulated once the criminal probe concluded.

July 2026: Forensic Audits, Court Intervention, and Accountable Millions

Legal proceedings intensified through July 2026 as the Supreme Court asserted supervisory control over the investigation. On July 20, the apex court requested the Uttar Pradesh state administration to outline options for establishing a dedicated, court-monitored framework. By July 27, 2026, the Supreme Court formally recognized a reconstituted four-member SIT tasked with conducting the probe under its direct observation.

This supervisory SIT was placed under the command of Inspector General of Police (Lucknow Range) Kiran S., supported by Ayodhya Range DIG Somen Verma, Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police Dr. Gaurav Grover, and Barabanki Additional Superintendent of Police Ritesh Singh. The Supreme Court also ordered the inclusion of a specialized forensic auditor to examine every transaction ledger, digital deposit, and bank reconciliation sheet associated with the temple’s accounts.

Parallel to the police investigation, an external audit conducted by third-party chartered accountancy firm M/S V Sankar Aiyer & Co. delivered a key finding [cite: prompt text]. Amid claims that hundreds of crores had vanished, the independent audit confirmed that all ₹3,300 crore contributed by devotees toward the Ram Mandir complex was fully accounted for in audited institutional records [cite: prompt text].

The audit report established that ₹400 crore dedicated to land acquisitions and ₹1,800 crore allocated to structural construction were processed through audited, non-cash banking channels subject to multi-tier institutional controls [cite: prompt text]. The financial audit clarified the distinction in the case: while institutional funds remained fully accounted for, physical cash theft was isolated to manual currency handling in the counting room.

Late June 2026: Resignations, Midnight Raids, and Criminal Charges

The crisis reached an administrative turning point in late June 2026. On June 27, under mounting political pressure and public scrutiny, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra submitted their formal resignations from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The Trust accepted their resignations to maintain institutional neutrality while the legal process unfolded.

Two days earlier, on June 25, 2026, an FIR was registered at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station in Ayodhya. The complaint was filed by Krishna Mohan, a trustee who was subsequently named interim general secretary.

The legal complaint invoked sections of India’s updated criminal code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with anti-corruption legislation:

• BNS Section 305: Theft committed inside a place of worship or religious sanctuary.

• BNS Section 306: Theft committed by a clerk or employee in possession of an employer's property.

• BNS Section 316(5): Criminal breach of trust by a public servant, banker, or authorized agent.

• BNS Section 317(4) & 317(5): Receiving, dealing in, or assisting in the concealment of stolen property.

• BNS Section 61 & Section 3(5): Criminal conspiracy and acts performed in furtherance of common intention.

• Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (Section 13(1)(a)): Dishonest or fraudulent misappropriation of property entrusted to a public servant or official agent.

Following the registration of the FIR, police teams executed coordinated night searches across Ayodhya and neighboring districts, placing all eight suspects into custody. Searches conducted at the suspects' residences yielded ₹79 lakh in cash, along with confiscated vehicles and asset purchase documents linked to the period under investigation.

Mid-June 2026: CCTV Surveillance and the Blueprint of Theft

The state-level probe was formally initiated on June 13, 2026, when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the creation of an initial three-member Special Investigation Team at the written request of the Trust. This initial team comprised:

• Vijay Vishwas Pant (Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow) – Panel Chairman

• Kiran S. (Inspector General of Police, Lucknow Range)

• Neel Ratan Kumar (Special Secretary, Finance Department)

Between June 15 and June 20, 2026, the SIT conducted an intensive field investigation in Ayodhya. Investigators mapped the entire donation lifecycle—inspecting collection boxes (daan patras), transit routes, vault storage rooms, cash counting tables, access control logs, and hundreds of hours of high-definition CCTV security footage.

The preliminary report, submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government on June 23, 2026, detailed systemic operational failures. Video evidence confirmed that between April 27 and June 5, 2026, cash counting staff engaged in theft approximately 70 times. Workers leveraged camera blind spots, hiding stacks of bank notes inside tailored inner garments and socks.

The report detailed how standard operating procedures (SOPs) established by the Trust and the State Bank of India (SBI) were bypassed. Physical frisking at entry and exit gates was omitted, supervisory bank officials failed to maintain continuous visual control over counting tables, and access control registers were updated irregularly.

Early June 2026: Political Controversy and Public Allegations

The public emergence of the scandal occurred on June 7, 2026, when Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former state minister Tej Narayan "Pawan" Pandey held a press conference alleging corruption within the temple administration. Pandey claimed that offerings worth between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore had been siphoned off directly from daily collection boxes.

The allegations sparked political debate across Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav raised the issue publicly, calling for judicial intervention and questioning the oversight mechanisms of the temple trust [cite: 24, prompt text].

In subsequent days, political statements presented escalating estimates, claiming the existence of a scam ranging from ₹200 crore to ₹2,000 crore [cite: prompt text]. While these figures were made without supporting documentation, public attention compelled state authorities and the temple trust to initiate formal legal proceedings [cite: 1, 6, prompt text].

Historical Context (2020–March 2026): Trust Architecture and Cash Operations

The governance framework of the Ram Mandir was created following the Supreme Court’s verdict on November 9, 2019, which resolved the Ayodhya title dispute. Following the court's mandate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Parliament in February 2020.

The Trust was structured as an autonomous body of 15 members—12 appointed by the Central Government and three selected during its initial meeting. Champat Rai, a senior leader within the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), was named General Secretary, assuming administrative responsibility for daily operations, land management, and donation intake.

During an executive meeting in Ayodhya on March 21, 2026, the Trust presented financial statements recording ₹82.78 crore in physical offerings received between April 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026.

The continuous volume of uncounted cash, deposited into donation boxes across the temple premises, created operational challenges for the security setup. Reliance on manual cash counting teams, combined with inconsistent physical screening, resulted in operational vulnerabilities that were exploited between April and June 2026.

Present Status and Systemic Reforms

The submission of the final state SIT report and the exoneration of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra mark the conclusion of the primary investigative phase, shifting focus toward operational and institutional reforms.

The recommendations submitted by the state government to the Trust emphasize several structural security upgrades:

• Automated Processing: Transitioning from manual hand-counting to high-speed automated sorting and counting machinery to reduce direct human contact with loose cash.

• Biometric Screening Protocols: Enforcing mandatory biometric access logs, full-body frisking, and pocketless attire for all workers entering currency processing areas.

• Enhanced Visual Oversight: Installing multi-angle CCTV coverage to eliminate room blind spots, with live feeds monitored directly by independent security personnel.

• Auditing and Joint Custody: Retaining permanent forensic auditors to perform random cash reconciliations, alongside mandatory dual-custody vault protocols managed jointly with State Bank of India officers.

While the eight arrested personnel remain in judicial custody pending trial under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Supreme Court continues to supervise the broader status reports submitted by the court-monitored SIT. The judicial process aims to enforce complete transparency and establish institutional safeguards to protect temple offerings from future security failures.