The investigation into alleged irregularities in Ram Temple donation funds has widened, with police now focusing on tracing money reportedly siphoned off by eight arrested accused, as authorities continue efforts to map the flow of stolen funds and identify assets purchased using the alleged proceeds of the crime. According to investigators, teams are currently examining multiple locations linked to the accused, including their suspected hideouts, in an attempt to gather evidence of movable and immovable properties acquired during the period when the alleged embezzlement took place. The accused are presently lodged in Faizabad jail, and police are also scrutinising financial records and property documents linked to them.

So far, authorities have reportedly recovered around ₹80 lakh along with documents related to various assets believed to have been purchased using the stolen funds. These include vehicles, such as a Brezza car registered in the name of one of the accused, identified as Avinash Shukla. Investigators believe that these recoveries represent only a portion of the total amount allegedly misappropriated. A senior police officer involved in the probe said that while the involvement of the arrested individuals appears to have been established, the full extent of the missing funds remains unclear.

“It is believed that the involvement of the accused persons in the case has been established, but the whereabouts of the money swindled off by them is yet to be known,” the officer said.  Officials have also not yet determined whether a larger network or mastermind may have orchestrated the alleged embezzlement. Investigators are also analysing CCTV footage from the donation site, which reportedly covers a period of around 45 days. According to police, the footage shows instances where the accused allegedly collected money on multiple occasions, though the amounts appear to have varied with no fixed pattern.

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The recordings are being used to reconstruct the timeline of alleged misappropriation and identify opportunities where funds may have been diverted. Police officials said that the probe is still in an early but expanding phase, with multiple angles being explored, including financial transactions, property acquisitions and potential accomplices. The investigation team is also attempting to determine the total quantum of funds allegedly siphoned off, which has not yet been officially quantified.

Authorities added that identifying the full money trail remains one of the biggest challenges in the case, as investigators attempt to trace how the alleged proceeds were distributed, stored or invested. The focus now, officials said, is not only on establishing culpability but also on recovering as much of the alleged stolen money as possible. As the investigation continues, police have indicated that further arrests or recoveries cannot be ruled out, depending on the findings from ongoing financial analysis and forensic examination of evidence. The case remains under active investigation, with officials working to piece together both the operational and financial aspects of the alleged donation fraud.

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