Overview
- Eight people linked to the temple’s donation-counting process have been arrested and are in judicial custody after a local court remanded them for 14 days.
- The Special Investigation Team was granted a 15-day extension on July 1 to broaden its inquiry and is now examining bank branches, private security rosters, recruitment practices, CCTV gaps and property records.
- Police say about Rs 80 lakh has been recovered so far while media and officials estimate roughly Rs 7–7.5 crore is missing from the temple accounts and investigators are tracing the money trail into bank transfers and asset purchases.
- Sources report that the accused told investigators they hid cash in washrooms, avoided cameras by knowing CCTV blind spots, and used counting-room keys that gave them repeated access during counting sessions.
- Two senior trust functionaries, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, have resigned and the case has provoked public outrage and political clashes, including the Faizabad Bar Association’s refusal to defend the accused and opposition claims of heavy-handed policing.