The investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has moved forward with the arrest of all eight people named in the First Information Report (FIR). The accused include members of the temple trust’s cash-counting team, the head of the counting operation, a retired banker who supervised the counting process, and Ram Mandir Trust General Secretary Champat Rai’s driver and close associate, Ramashankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu. The police have registered charges of theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy against all eight accused.

The FIR came after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government. After reviewing the report, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust decided to file a criminal complaint. The investigation focuses on the alleged misuse of cash donations offered by devotees at the Ram Mandir.

According to the FIR, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu played a key role in the alleged diversion of donation money. Investigators claim he had a central role in the operation. The FIR also names Anukalp Mishra, who headed the cash-counting operation. Another accused is Subhash Srivastava, a retired bank employee who worked as the cash counting incharge and supervised the counting process.

The remaining accused include Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Manish Yadav, Lavkush Mishra, and Rama Shankar Mishra. All five worked as members of the cash-counting staff. According to investigators, every accused had a direct role in collecting, handling, or counting the cash donations received at the temple.

The controversy surfaced after allegations that cash donations made by devotees were siphoned off even before they were entered in the temple’s official accounts. These claims raised serious concerns about the system used to manage and deposit the offerings.

The Uttar Pradesh government responded by forming an SIT to investigate the allegations. The team's preliminary findings reportedly pointed to serious procedural lapses in the collection and counting of donations. Following these findings, the Ram Temple Trust lodged an FIR with the Ayodhya police. The investigation is now focused on identifying the people responsible for the alleged financial irregularities.

Before the arrests, the SIT questioned several people linked to the cash-counting process. The investigation also included Trust member Dr Anil Mishra. Officials questioned him about the appointment of staff members and the procedures followed while counting donations. The SIT continues to examine the process adopted by the trust for handling cash offerings.

Despite political demands for action against senior officials of the temple trust, the FIR does not name General Secretary Champat Rai as an accused. Earlier reports stated that the SIT's preliminary findings did not recommend criminal action against him. However, the investigation into the alleged financial irregularities is still underway. Authorities have said they will decide on further action after collecting more evidence.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the issue publicly and appealed for patience while the investigation continues. In a post on X, he said, “Our ancestors struggled for 500 years for the construction of the Ram Temple. Please wait for another 15 days. Have patience. Do not worry and do not fall prey to attempts to defame Ayodhya. If anyone is guilty, regardless of who they are…they will not be spared.”

The Chief Minister also criticised the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. He accused both parties of double standards and questioned their stand on Bhagwan Ram. Speaking at a public function in Ayodhya, he said, “Look at the dual character of the Samajwadi Party. Today, they claim that Ram devotees have been insulted. These are the same people under whose government bullets were fired on kar sevaks and Ram devotees. At the request of the Ram Temple Trust, we constituted an SIT, and the investigation will establish the truth. I urge everyone not to make irresponsible comments that hurt the sentiments of Ram devotees.”

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the handling of the case. He alleged that the government was protecting the "big fish" involved in the matter. He also claimed that the authorities may have destroyed or cleaned up evidence while conducting the SIT investigation. His remarks added a political dimension to the ongoing controversy.

The case grabbed headlines immediately, given the importance of the Ram Mandir and the trust placed by devotees in the management of temple donations. The arrests mark a major step in the investigation. Authorities have maintained that the probe will continue and any further action will depend on the evidence collected during the course of the investigation.