Ayodhya Police Arrest Eight and Issue Notice to Bank of Baroda Over Temple Donation Theft
The Ayodhya police arrested eight people, including six temple trust employees, and issued a notice to a local Bank of Baroda branch late last week as part of an investigation into the siphoning of donations from the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust in Ayodhya.
The investigation into the theft of temple donations, which average between Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore monthly, has now expanded to the financial institutions holding the Trust's accounts. While the State Bank of India serves as the primary bank for the Trust, approximately 10 to 15 percent of online offerings are deposited directly into the local Bank of Baroda branch.
According to police officials, the Bank of Baroda does not handle cash transactions for the Trust, nor do its employees participate in the Trust's operations or cash counting. However, the police served a notice to the branch seeking financial details of individuals named in the First Information Report.
The bank provided a written response containing details for Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, and Supriya Mishra. Investigators found that Shukla and Yadav hold accounts at the branch, with Yadav's account containing a balance of only Rs 1,400 and remaining inactive since April. Supriya Mishra does not hold an account at the bank, though police are scrutinizing her financial details after her husband, key accused Lavkush Mishra, allegedly purchased land and built a house in her name.
Among the eight arrested individuals is Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu, who worked as a driver for Champat Rai. Rai stepped down late last week, taking moral responsibility for the donation theft. Temple trustee Anil Mishra also resigned alongside Rai. Both Rai and Mishra hold accounts at the Ayodhya branch of the Bank of Baroda, though officials noted Rai's account is inactive with a negligible balance.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Trust reported earning nearly Rs 327 crore in the 2024-25 financial year, which included Rs 153 crore in donations and Rs 173 crore in interest income. Trust representatives typically withdraw funds via cheque only once or twice a year, subject to strict cross-verification with senior officials for large amounts.
