Ram Mandir ‘theft’: Cops seize ‘proceeds of crime’ — car bought by accused

3 min readLucknowJul 3, 2026 10:38 PM IST

Outside the District Jail as police escort Avinash Shukla, an accused arrested in the Ram Temple donations 'theft' case, in Ayodhya on Friday. (ANI video grab)

Ayodhya Police Friday seized Ram Temple ‘theft’ accused Avinash Shukla’s car, which they suspect was purchased with proceeds from the alleged crime, said a senior police officer.

Police took Shukla into custody remand during the day. Sources said police had sought his custody as part of efforts to recover more of the allegedly stolen money and trace a vehicle suspected to be linked to the case.

Sources had earlier said that fresh searches at his home had led to the recovery of Rs 20.39 lakh in denominations of Rs 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, and 10; and USD 1,121 in the denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1. The maximum cash was in Rs 500 denomination – over 3,000 currency notes.

His family has refused to comment on the allegations.

At his village, Babpur Nariyawa in Pratapgarh, pradhan Raju Yadav said, “The Shukla family has long depended on agriculture and runs a small paan shop in the village. After moving to Ayodhya about two years ago, Avinash would return home only occasionally, often in a second-hand car he had bought recently. The family home had also been undergoing renovation in recent months.”

“It is a large family, and we assumed that several members were earning and their financial situation had improved,” Yadav said.

Residents said Avinash, one of four brothers, had worked at a local shop in Pratapgarh before moving to Ayodhya reportedly with the help of an acquaintance there.

Probe so far

Police teams have made several visits to the family’s home — the latest on Thursday — and questioned his parents and sought information about the family’s property holdings.

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Police believe Avinash could provide further leads in the case, as a substantial part of the recoveries made so far was allegedly based on information provided by him.

Police said they have not ruled out the possibility that some of the allegedly stolen money may have been used to purchase or commission jewellery.

Besides Avinash, the other arrested accused are Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, and Subhash Srivastav.

Police have so far recovered Rs 79.80 lakh from seven of the eight arrested men.