Ram Mandir Donation Theft: Ayodhya Court Grants Police Custody of Tinnu Yadav, Nephew for Final Interrogation

A local court has granted the Ayodhya police a 39-hour custody remand for Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu Yadav, and his nephew, Manish Yadav, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged embezzlement of cash donations from the Ram Mandir. The two accused are expected to be taken out of the Faizabad district jail on Saturday morning by police investigators for intensive questioning.

The development marks what investigators describe as the concluding phase of custodial interrogations in the high-profile case. The police plan to confront the uncle-nephew duo with statements from six co-accused who were previously interrogated, alongside financial records, electronic footprints, and recovery documents gathered over the past month. Ram Temple Donation Theft Probe: SIT Seeks More Time to Complete Investigation.

According to findings by the government-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT), Ram Shankar Yadav allegedly held unauthorized custody of the keys to the temple’s hundis (donation boxes) despite lacking formal administrative approval. The SIT report notes that he allegedly used his position to induct Manish Yadav into the sensitive cash-counting team, creating an opportunity for the systemic pilferage of public offerings.

The broader investigation has exposed several vulnerability gaps in the temple’s cash-management mechanism. Preliminary SIT reviews of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage revealed approximately 70 suspicious incidents between late April and early June 2026, where counting staff were allegedly seen concealing wads of currency. Authorities have also pointed to procedural failures, such as a lack of physical frisking at security checkpoints and a failure to retain surveillance footage for the recommended 180 days.

So far, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft. Earlier rounds of custodial interrogation have already yielded the recovery of cash, gold ornaments, and luxury vehicles allegedly purchased using the siphoned funds. Multiple bank accounts belonging to the suspects and their families have also been frozen as financial analysts map out the money trail, which reportedly extends into stock market investments and private lending channels. Badrinath Temple Theft Case: SIT Arrests Former Temple Officer Rajendra Chauhan.

Tinnu Yadav, Nephew to Face Custodial Interrogation

Ram Mandir alleged donations embezzlement case | A court has granted 39 hours of police remand for Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav and Manish Yadav.

The two accused are expected to be taken out of jail by the police on Saturday for interrogation as part of the ongoing… pic.twitter.com/TxDOAdkytj

— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2026

An Ayodhya court recently extended the judicial custody of all eight accused until July 27. The police custody of Ram Shankar and Manish Yadav is considered the final operational step before the local police assemble the formal charge sheet, even as the parallel SIT continues to evaluate supervisory accountability and administrative lapses at the temple complex.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2026 06:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).