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Police on Friday produced all eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple before a court, stating that the preliminary investigation had uncovered evidence of theft against all of them.

According to the prosecution, CCTV footage shows the accused allegedly stealing cash and jewellery from the temple's offerings.

CCTV Footage Shows Alleged Theft, Court Told

Police informed the court that the CCTV footage captured the accused removing money and jewellery from the temple donations.

Investigators alleged that after the counting process was completed, accused Tinnu, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash, Karunesh, Manish Yadav, Lav Kush Mishra and Rama Shankar Mishra concealed cash and jewellery in their pockets before taking them out of the premises.

Nearly Rs 79.84 Lakh Recovered From Seven Accused

The investigating officer told the court that cash worth around Rs 79.84 lakh has so far been recovered from seven of the accused.

According to the police, the recoveries were made based on information provided by the accused during the investigation.

The eighth accused, Subhash Srivastava, has not been linked to any recovery so far. Police, however, alleged that he was part of the conspiracy.

Key Custodian Of Cash Counters Identified

Police told the court that Tinnu was responsible for keeping the keys to the cash counters, donation boxes and the hall where currency notes were counted.

Investigators alleged that his position gave him access to the areas where donations were handled.

Voucher Irregularities Under Scanner

Police also accused Anukalp Mishra of manipulating the voucher preparation process and allegedly conspiring with his brother-in-law, Lav Kush Mishra, to commit financial irregularities.

During searches, police recovered nearly Rs 10 lakh from Lav Kush Mishra's residence, the court was informed.

Recommendation-Based Hiring, No Post-Duty Checks

The investigation has also revealed that several of the accused were assigned note-counting duties based on recommendations.

Police further told the court that the staff members were not subjected to frisking after completing their shifts, a lapse that is now part of the ongoing investigation.