Police in Uttar Pradesh’s holy city of Ayodhya have approached a court to obtain custody of three individuals—Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra and Karunesh Pandey—linked to the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations. The request is aimed at scrutinising their bank accounts to determine whether the recovered cash originated from the temple’s charitable contributions.

Recovered Cash and Initial Findings

During the investigation, authorities seized ₹14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, ₹16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra and ₹18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey. The police intend to trace the flow of these amounts, checking if they were laundered, used for purchases, or directly tied to the missing donations.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) Report Highlights

The Special Investigation Team, set up by the Uttar Pradesh government at the behest of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, released a preliminary report covering April 27‑June 5, 2026. CCTV footage captured roughly 70 instances where counting staff allegedly concealed bundles of cash and loose notes in clothing, shoes and personal bags. Six persons—Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra—were identified as prima facie participants.

Security Lapses and Institutional Accountability

The SIT report flagged serious procedural gaps: lack of frisking at entry/exit points, missing biometric attendance, failure to conduct hundi‑wise counting, mixing donations from different collection boxes, non‑enforcement of dress‑code rules, and unauthorised access to donation‑box keys. Former trustee Dr. Anil Mishra and counting in‑charge Subhash Srivastava were singled out for supervisory failures.

Reforms, Resignations and Future Outlook

Following the preliminary findings, the Trust accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Anil Mishra on moral grounds and announced a series of reforms aimed at tightening financial controls. Police expect that custodial interrogation may uncover further cash recoveries and provide a clear audit trail, thereby restoring public confidence in the management of sacred donations.