Ram temple cash spent on iPhone, car, confesses accused Avinash Shukla
In a major development in the Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, Avinash Shukla has admitted to spending nearly Rs 19 lakh of the stolen money on family, friends, and personal luxuries. This included buying his girlfriend an expensive iPhone. While being questioned at Ayodhya’s Reserve Police Lines, Shukla confessed to taking a large amount of cash from the donation boxes at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
Sources said Shukla spent about Rs 6 lakh on his brother’s wedding, gave Rs 5-6 lakh to another brother, and bought a car worth around Rs 3.5 lakh. Police have already recovered the car.
He also transferred Rs 2.5 lakh to a friend, who, according to some reports, is his girlfriend, and gave her a high-end iPhone. Smaller amounts went to other relatives and associates. Shukla is believed to have kept the largest share among the accused, about Rs 20 lakh in total. Police recovered Rs 20.39 lakh in cash, $1,121, gold and silver jewellery, and an SUV from him. Investigators have questioned his brothers and are tracking bank transfers, land deals in a sibling’s name, and other assets bought with the stolen money.
The case involves eight staff members accused of regularly stealing cash from hundi boxes during the temple’s donation counting. Shukla and the others reportedly checked CCTV camera locations, monitored staff movements, and planned exit routes before hiding cash in washrooms and retrieving it in small amounts. Shukla’s detailed spending has given investigators new leads to track the flow of money. Police are now working to recover funds sent to various people and to determine whether other accused members also spent the money on luxuries.
These revelations have put more focus on how the temple manages donations. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted the resignations of key officials during the investigation, while a Special Investigation Team continues to review accounts and procedures. Shukla’s confession is a major development in this sensitive case, raising concerns about how devotee offerings are handled.
Ayodhya Police officials are expected to question the other accused further as they work to recover the remaining stolen money and uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
