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Champat Rai aide, ex-banker: Who are the 8 accused arrested in Ram Temple donation case
Ram Shankar Yadav is one of the most prominent figures among the eight arrested in the Ram Temple donation embezzlement case.
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Ram Shankar Yadav alias ‘Tinnu’, a close aide and chauffeur of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, is among eight people arrested by Ayodhya Police in connection with the alleged embezzlement and theft of cash and gold offerings from the Ram Mandir.
Police arrested the eight accused on Friday morning as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the handling and counting of donations received at the temple.
Yadav, one of the most prominent figures among those arrested, hails from Ayodhya and rose from modest beginnings. His father ran a small tea shop near Naya Ghat, and Yadav worked as an auto and tempo driver in the town during the mid-1990s. Over the years, he became closely associated with Champat Rai and allegedly gained influence within the temple’s internal management system.
Investigators allege that Yadav exercised significant control over the security, counting and transportation of donations collected at the temple. He came under scrutiny after allegations surfaced regarding irregularities in the handling of offerings and claims that he had amassed disproportionate assets, properties and gold. Yadav has denied those allegations.
Who are the other arrested accused
Manish Yadav: Among those arrested is Yadav’s nephew, Manish Yadav, son of his younger brother Balram Yadav. Police said Manish was actively involved in the donation-counting process at the temple.
Subhash Srivastava: Subhash Srivastava, a former bank employee, was also arrested. He served as the in-charge of cash counting at the Ram Mandir and supervised the entire counting process. Owing to his banking background, he had been specifically appointed to oversee the staff counting donations.
Anukalp Mishra: Another accused, Anukalp Mishra, a resident of Basawan village in Ayodhya’s Milkipur area, was entrusted with counting and managing daily donations. He is related to Trust member Anil Mishra and is the brother-in-law of co-accused Lavkush Mishra. Police said stolen money was recovered from his residence.
Lavkush Mishra: Lavkush Mishra, also related to Anil Mishra, was assigned donation-counting duties at the temple. Investigators allege that he and Anukalp Mishra were actively involved in siphoning off funds, claims that were allegedly supported by CCTV footage and the recovery of money from their homes.
Avinash Shukla: Avinash Shukla, another member of the counting team, was also arrested. Police sources said there were reports of around ₹5 lakh being recovered from his bank account. He was part of a team responsible for handling and counting cash and valuables received as offerings.
Karunesh Pandey: Karunesh Pandey has been accused of being part of the alleged conspiracy along with Anukalp and Lavkush Mishra. Investigators claim he manipulated financial records related to incoming donations while working as part of the core team handling devotees’ offerings.
Ramashankar Mishra: Ramashankar Mishra, another member of the counting staff, was also arrested. Police allege that he worked in coordination with other accused to siphon off donation money and was captured on CCTV footage during the cash-sorting process. Investigators claim he helped bypass established financial protocols over an extended period to facilitate the alleged theft.
People familiar with the investigation said officials examined collection boxes, counting details, storage, accounting, access control, and surveillance, and prima facie they all flagged irregularities in the handling of offerings.
