New Delhi: The accused involved in stealing offerings from the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya are now in serious trouble. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating the entire matter, and so far, eight accused, including Tinnu Yada, have been arrested. Meanwhile, during his custody remand, the accused Avinash Shukla made shocking revelations during interrogation.
According to police sources, Avinash was stunned when shown 45 days’ worth of CCTV footage; he subsequently confessed to the repeated theft of offerings. The police are now searching for others linked to this network. As the rigorous investigation continues, more individuals are expected to be taken into custody. The SIT is advancing the probe by issuing notices to 70 people and is required to submit its report by July 10.
Major Claim by the Police
Regarding the theft of offerings, the police claimed that Avinash could be seen removing money in the foota, a fact that the accused admitted to. He had been carrying out these thefts for a long period. During interrogation, Avinash revealed that the stolen money was distributed equally among all the accused.
According to Avinash, while some individuals occasionally took a larger share, Tinnu Yadav held the most influence within the entire scheme. Avinash further disclosed that he had purchased a vehicle, built a house, and given a substantial sum of money to his brother using the stolen funds.
The accused stated that due to the collusion between Tinnu Yadav and Subhash, they felt no fear of getting caught. Avinash claimed that Tinnu would always reassure them that nothing would happen and that the CCTV footage would be deleted.
Major Revelation Regarding Tinnu Yadav
The accused, Avinash, informed the investigation team that Tinnu Yadav was responsible for keeping watch; consequently, no security personnel or other staff members ever stopped him. It was this sense of security that allowed them to continue stealing temple offerings for such a long time. Moreover, the accused repeatedly tampered with CCTV footage to conceal the theft. Investigations revealed that CCTV footage had even gone missing on one or two occasions. Nevertheless, the police have successfully recovered all the crucial CCTV footage required for the investigation.
Champat Rai Has Resigned
It is worth noting that as soon as an SIT was constituted to investigate the theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir, Champat Rai, who held a senior position in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra,r resigned. Trustee Anil Mishra also resigned and distanced himself from the matter. Both of them submitted their resignations in the last week of June 2026. However, opposition political parties are raising questions regarding these resignations as well.
