Ayodhya Police questioned the families of the eight arrested accused and examined their assets as investigators intensified
June 28, 2026: The investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has gathered pace, with police questioning the family members of all eight arrested accused to trace the money trail. The case was registered after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its preliminary report, following which all eight accused were arrested and remanded to judicial custody until June 29. Police teams visited the residences of the accused, including Manish Yadav, Tinnu Yadav, Anukalp Mishra, and Avinash Shukla, to collect information about their assets, investments, jewellery, and other properties.
Investigators are examining whether the accused possess wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. According to sources, the families of two accused allegedly did not cooperate with the investigation, and police may inform the court about the lack of cooperation. Search operations were carried out in the presence of an independent government witness (Lekhpal) to ensure transparency, while officials documented details of valuables, financial records, and residential properties in an effort to identify possible financial links and additional suspects.
The SIT’s preliminary findings also highlighted several alleged lapses in the temple’s donation-counting procedures, including inadequate security, lack of frisking, and failure to preserve CCTV footage as required under standard operating procedures. Sources said investigators have recovered nearly ₹79.85 lakh along with foreign currency during the probe. Meanwhile, Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have reportedly resigned amid the controversy. Police are expected to seek fresh custodial remand of the accused when they are produced before the court again, as the investigation continues under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).