Acharya Vinod Mishra, head of the Rokadiya Hanuman Mandir, has accused Tinnu of mismanaging valuable donations. Speaking exclusively with Times Now, Acharya alleged
that a large-scale scam has been happening, claiming that receipts for offerings were routinely not issued to devotees. Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinu Yadav is among the eight people arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya Mishra claimed that his disciple, Jaunpur-based businessman Ajay Vishwakarma, had donated a gold necklace and charan paduka worth a significant amount following the temple’s construction. According to the priest, Tinnu accepted the offerings and assured them that a receipt would be issued later and photographs would be shared once the necklace was adorned on the deity. However, even after eight months, neither a receipt nor any photographic evidence has been provided. When questioned, Mishra alleged that Tinnu cited verification of the jewellery’s authenticity and promised a report within 15 days, but no further communication followed. The priest has further alleged that this is part of a larger pattern, claiming that receipts for offerings are routinely not issued to devotees, raising concerns of a possible large-scale scam in the name of temple donations.
Eight Arrested, Rs 79.85 Lakh Recovered
Eight people - Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav - were arrested in connection with the matter and were remanded to judicial custody till June 29 on Friday. All were said to be associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the temple.
Prosecution Officer K C Verma told reporters the accused would be produced before the court again on Monday, when the police are expected to seek their custodial remand.
Verma said investigators have so far recovered Rs 79.85 lakh during the probe. Tinnu Yadav worked as a driver, according to Verma.
What SIT Report Revealed
The FIR, lodged at the instance of trust member Krishna Mohan, was registered following the recommendations of the preliminary report of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The three-member SIT, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, was constituted on June 13 at the Trust's request after the allegations of misappropriation surfaced on June 7. The SIT submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23.
In its report, the SIT reportedly described Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava as key players in the conspiracy and its execution.
In its 20-page report, the SIT reportedly mentioned about 70 theft-related incidents after analysing the CCTV footage. It mentions that the alleged embezzlement of the donation funds had been going on for 2-3 years.
During the interrogation, two accused, including Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava, have reportedly made several important revelations related to the entire theft network. The SIT has written in the report that Tinnu had the keys to the bills without permission.
