Ayodhya authorities have moved against an under-construction house linked to an accused in the Ram Temple donation theft case, widening the probe from alleged cash diversion inside the temple complex to assets suspected to have been acquired with stolen offerings.
The Ayodhya Development Authority has issued a show-cause notice to Supriya Mishra, wife of arrested accused Lavkush Mishra, over alleged violations of building bylaws at a house being built in Sohawal area of Ayodhya district. The authority has sought an explanation within 15 days and indicated that further action, including demolition proceedings, could follow if the response fails to satisfy municipal requirements.
The notice marks a sharper administrative turn in a case that has already led to arrests, police remand, recovery of cash and valuables, scrutiny of donation-counting procedures and questioning of senior functionaries connected with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Officials have maintained that any demolition-related step would be taken under local building laws, not as a substitute for the criminal investigation.
The property under scrutiny is a 1,000 sq ft plot in Banipur locality of Sohawal. The land was purchased on October 16, 2025, for a registered value of Rs 8.80 lakh. Local accounts have placed the prevailing market value of similar plots in the area at about Rs 24 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, prompting investigators to examine whether the acquisition was linked to funds allegedly siphoned from temple donations.
Construction began after a bhoomi pujan ceremony in February. Residents said work continued at the site until June 30. The structure is described as a ground-plus-one-storey building. Lavkush Mishra, who is from Basawan village in Milkipur tehsil, worked as an outsourced cash-counting employee connected with the temple donation process and was reported to be drawing a monthly salary of about Rs 15,000.
Police had earlier recovered Rs 14.25 lakh from locations linked to Mishra. Investigators are now examining property records, bank transactions and other financial trails of accused persons and their immediate relatives to determine whether proceeds of the alleged theft were converted into land, housing or other assets.
The donation theft probe centres on allegations that offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple were diverted over several months by people involved in the counting and handling of cash. Eight people have been arrested so far: Avinash Shukla, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ram Shankar Mishra.
Avinash Shukla, another accused, has been sent to 24-hour police custody after investigators sought time to confront him with documentary and electronic evidence. Police have recovered Rs 20.39 lakh in cash, 1,121 US dollars, gold chains, a ring and silver articles allegedly linked to the case from him. Investigators believe Shukla had detailed knowledge of the donation-counting centre and its procedures.
The alleged modus operandi has raised serious questions about the security system inside one of the country’s most sensitive religious sites. Police suspect that the accused studied the layout of the counting centre, identified CCTV blind spots and used gaps in real-time surveillance to remove cash. Stolen money was allegedly hidden temporarily in washrooms inside the temple complex before being moved out in smaller quantities.
Investigators are also examining claims that some accused formed a human shield around the person removing cash, blocking camera lines and reducing the chances of detection. Housekeeping and maintenance staff are expected to be questioned to verify whether cash packets were ever noticed in washrooms or other concealed areas.
The temple’s donation system involves 40 donation boxes placed across the complex. Offerings are collected, sealed and taken to the Pilgrim Facilitation Centre, where the counting hall operates in two shifts. Around 44 outsourced workers are involved in daily counting. Normal daily collections average about Rs 75 lakh and rise sharply during festivals. Offerings for 2024-25 were estimated at Rs 153 crore, excluding interest from fixed deposits.
A Special Investigation Team formed on June 13 found lapses in the implementation of standard operating procedures. These included inadequate frisking of workers, poor monitoring of CCTV footage, non-compliance with rules requiring pocketless clothing, and irregular handling of currency bundles during counting and packing. CCTV footage being overwritten after 45 days has also complicated attempts to reconstruct the alleged theft over a longer period.
