A land purchase plan worth about Rs 2 crore has brought Anukalp Mishra under deeper scrutiny in the Ram Temple donation theft case, with investigators examining whether offerings allegedly stolen from donation boxes were being diverted into property deals.
Mishra, one of the key accused in the alleged misappropriation of devotees’ offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, was allegedly preparing to buy nearly 20 bighas of land near his village when police arrested him. The transaction had been discussed and the deal was said to have been finalised at around Rs 2 crore, but the purchase could not be completed after the probe moved from preliminary findings to arrests.
The land angle has widened the investigation from theft inside donation-counting facilities to the suspected conversion of cash into real estate, vehicles and household assets. Police are examining whether Mishra and other accused used their access to the counting process to siphon off offerings over an extended period, particularly when donations rose sharply after major religious events and pilgrim footfall increased in Ayodhya.
Eight people were arrested after an FIR was registered on June 25 following the findings of a Special Investigation Team set up to examine irregularities in the handling of temple offerings. The accused named in the case include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu. Several unidentified persons have also been mentioned in the case.
The charges include theft, criminal breach of trust, concealment of stolen property, criminal conspiracy and acts committed with common intention under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The inclusion of corruption-related charges has made the case more sensitive, as investigators are also looking at supervisory failures and the possible role of those responsible for safeguarding donations.
Mishra was part of the outsourced system associated with cash handling and voucher preparation. Investigators believe this position gave him knowledge of how offerings were counted, recorded and moved. The alleged thefts are said to have involved cash and valuables taken from donation boxes and counting centres. Hidden cameras and internal checks reportedly helped detect suspicious handling of offerings, after which the probe gathered pace.
The cash trail has already crossed Rs 77 lakh in recoveries and suspected assets. Among the recoveries reported so far, Avinash Shukla is linked to Rs 20.39 lakh, while Anukalp Mishra is linked to Rs 16.82 lakh. Karunesh Pandey is linked to Rs 18.07 lakh, Lavkush Mishra to Rs 14.25 lakh, Ramashankar Mishra to Rs 7.32 lakh along with silver items, Manish Kumar Yadav to Rs 2 lakh and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu to Rs 1 lakh. No recovery has been reported from Subhash Srivastava.
Investigators have also examined allegations of lifestyle changes among some accused. Mishra’s financial conduct has drawn attention because of references to property purchases, a vehicle and a house in Ayodhya. His family has denied wrongdoing and claimed he is being framed. One relative has said the house linked to the family was purchased two years ago and was not connected to the alleged theft.
The probe has also placed the temple’s administrative structure under pressure. The preliminary SIT findings pointed to lapses in monitoring, frisking and CCTV supervision in donation-handling areas. The report is understood to have cited multiple instances over a 40-day period in which offerings were allegedly taken by persons connected with the counting operation. These findings have raised questions about how a high-security religious institution allowed access gaps in one of its most sensitive financial processes.
The controversy has triggered changes within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Champat Rai, who served as general secretary, and trustee Anil Mishra submitted resignations after the arrests. The trust later moved towards an administrative overhaul, including a CEO-led panel to strengthen operational oversight. The changes came amid growing pressure for stricter donation safeguards and transparent accounting.
