Ram Mandir Donation Theft: How Tinnu Yadav And Team Stole Devotees Money

The sanctity of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been hit by a shocking revelation of internal theft involving the very people entrusted with managing the offerings. For a long time, devotees from across the world have been visiting the temple and contributing generously to the donation boxes (Dan Peti) as a mark of their faith. However, it has come to light that a group of individuals, including some associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, were allegedly siphoning off these funds to fund their personal luxuries, while following a detailed investigation, an FIR has been registered and eight accused, including Tinnu Yadav, have been arrested and sent behind bars.

The Discovery of the Scam

The discrepancy first came to the notice of the Trust officials in the last week of May, while while reviewing the records of the amounts being deposited in the bank and monitoring the frequency of the donation boxes being emptied, the officials grew suspicious. Typically, a single donation box would yield between 6 to 7 lakh rupees. However, over a period of several weeks, a noticeable decline was observed, particularly in the bundles of 500 rupee notes. This prompted the authorities to take discreet action to identify the source of the leakage.

Hidden Cameras and the Modus Operandi

To catch the culprits red-handed, hidden cameras were installed in the room where the notes were counted. The footage from one week revealed a systematic method of theft, while the employees involved in the counting process would strategically stand in front of the visible CCTV cameras to block their view. Meanwhile, their accomplices would steal notes from the prepared bundles and hide them inside their clothing. The investigation revealed that the accused, including Anukalp Mishra, would then hide these stolen bundles in the bathrooms, while once they found a suitable opportunity, they would smuggle the cash out of the temple premises. The stolen money was later distributed among the team members at a specific house. This illicit activity had reportedly been ongoing for two to three years.

The Voucher Manipulation Trick

The thieves employed a clever technique to avoid detection during bank deposits. The employees responsible for counting would add extra notes to each bundle, while when the time came for the bank to process the amount, they would often count the number of bundles and issue a voucher based on that count, rather than counting every single note in every bundle. During the transit from the temple to the bank, the accused would remove the extra notes they had previously inserted. This ensured that the final amount deposited matched the voucher, while the extra cash was pocketed by the group, while anukalp Mishra, who was involved in the voucher preparation process, allegedly executed this scheme with the help of his brother-in-law, Lav Kush Mishra.

The Network of Recommendations

The investigation highlighted a significant lapse in the hiring process, as almost all the accused were hired based on personal recommendations, while for instance, Tinnu Yadav, also known as Ram Shankar Yadav, served as an administrator and was the driver for Champat Rai. Tinnu Yadav had managed to get his cousin, Manish Yadav, a job in the note-counting department. Similarly, Anukalp Mishra, who had been working there for years, brought in his brother-in-law Lav Kush Mishra. Other arrested individuals include Subhash Chandra and Avinash Pandey. The lack of physical frisking of employees when they left their shifts allowed them to carry out the theft with ease.

Theft of Jewelry and Recovery

The greed of the accused wasn't limited to cash. They also targeted the jewelry offered by devotees, including earrings, nose rings, and ornaments meant for the deity, such as the bracelets and anklets of the child form of Ram Lalla. Despite the fact that records were supposed to be maintained for all offerings, these items were regularly stolen. During the police crackdown, approximately 10 lakh rupees were recovered from the residence of Lav Kush Mishra. Plus, bank records of Avinash Pandey confirmed that a portion of the stolen money was being deposited directly into his personal account. The Trust officials confirmed these discrepancies during the interrogation process.