Ayodhya Police have taken a major step in the investigation of the donation theft at the Ram Mandir by submitting a mammoth charge sheet to the Faizabad District Court. The massive legal document, spanning 73,480 pages, lays bare a highly organized syndicate that was operating inside the temple premises to siphon off monetary offerings made by devotees. This decisive action by the police has exposed the internal nexus involved in the crime.
CCTV Footage and Key Accused Exposed
During the investigation, police scrutinized temple security records and discovered shocking activities. According to the charge sheet, 105 separate incidents of theft were captured on CCTV cameras inside the counting room and other areas. Out of these, a single individual, Avinash Shukla alias Sunny, was caught on tape stealing or removing cash 85 times, highlighting how systematically the theft was carried out. The police have presented concrete evidence against eight accused individuals. To build a foolproof case, statements of 173 witnesses have been recorded. Key temple trust figures, including the former general secretary of the trust, Champat Rai, Dr. Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao, have been named as crucial prosecution witnesses.
How the Looting Syndicate was Uncovered
The theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir first came to light on June 4, 2026. On that day, during the routine process of counting donations, an alert employee named Anand Chaudhary noticed suspicious behavior among his colleagues. He discreetly filmed them as they stuffed bundles of currency notes into their clothing and waistbands inside the counting room. Chaudhary immediately forwarded this video evidence to Champat Rai, who was the general secretary of the trust at that time, to expose the ongoing malpractice.
Gathering Irrefutable Evidence
Since Champat Rai was traveling on June 4, he could not act immediately. However, upon his return to Ayodhya on June 5, he reviewed the security footage alongside key trust members Dr. Narendra, Gopal Rao, and Anil Mishra. A wider search of the entire temple complex's CCTV archives was then initiated. The police subsequently seized the mobile phones of the suspects, retrieving digital evidence. This digital footprint, combined with bank records showing sudden cash deposits, proof of recent property purchases, and physical recoveries of cash, forms the core of the 73,480-page charge sheet.
Rejection of Bail for the Accused
Legal proceedings in this high-profile case are advancing rapidly. Recently, the local court in Faizabad rejected the bail applications of three accused: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey. Their defense lawyer, Kul Shekhar Singh, stated that the bail pleas were argued extensively on September 22. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court rejected their applications, prompting the defense to prepare an appeal before the High Court.
