Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - A court in Ayodhya has sent all eight accused in the Ram temple donation embezzlement case to police custody till June 29, while investigators say they have recovered ₹79.85 lakh linked to the alleged misappropriation of offerings collected at the temple. The accused were arrested after an FIR named them in connection with the handling and counting of cash and valuables donated by devotees.

According to the FIR and police statements, the accused were involved in the process of counting donations and valuables collected in boxes installed on the temple premises, and officials allege that they diverted part of the money for personal gain. Prosecution officer K.C. Verma said the recovered amount stands at ₹79,85,493, with cash seized from seven of the eight arrested men during the probe. The arrests were made late on Thursday in Ayodhya, and police said the accused were being questioned as investigators widened the inquiry into how the donations were handled.

Police have booked the accused under charges including theft, criminal breach of trust, fraud and criminal conspiracy, according to reports on the case. Among those arrested is Ramashankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu, who is described as an aide to the trust’s general secretary, Champat Rai, while several others were said to be connected to the cash-counting process at the shrine. Officials said the accused will be produced before the special court again on June 29, after which further legal proceedings will continue.

The case has now become a major trust and temple administration controversy, with the recovery amount and custody remand deepening scrutiny over the handling of donations at one of the country’s most sensitive religious sites. Investigators are expected to continue tracing the money trail and questioning more people linked to the donation-counting process.