Claim
Ayodhya police today took donation-theft accused Avinash Shukla on remand; the largest amount of stolen donation money was recovered from his possession.
“आज अयोध्या पुलिस ने चढ़ावे की चोरी के आरोपी अविनाश शुक्ला को रिमांड पर लिया। अविनाश के कब्जे से ही चढ़ावे में चोरी की सबसे ज्यादा रकम बरामद हुई थी।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
Wire and mainstream reports corroborate both parts of the claim: on July 2, 2026 the Ayodhya court heard police's application for a two-day custody remand of Avinash Shukla in the Ram Mandir donation-theft case, and by the next day police were questioning him in custody. The Rs 20.40 lakh recovered from Shukla was reported as the largest single recovery among the eight arrested accused (Rs 79.85 lakh total). Minor uncertainty remains over whether physical custody began on July 2 itself, as one report notes the video-conference hearing was briefly postponed amid a lawyer boycott, slightly reducing confidence.
Evidence
- https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/hearing-for-up-polices-remand-application-for-ram-mandir-donation-theft-accused-avinash-shukla-to-be-held-today20260702114322/ ANI (July 2, 2026): hearing on UP police's remand application for Ram Mandir donation-theft accused Avinash Shukla was held that day, matching the broadcast's 'today'. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.outlookindia.com/national/ram-temple-donation-case-ayodhya-police-seek-custody-of-avinash-shukla Outlook India: Ayodhya Police sought two-day custody remand of Avinash Shukla before Additional District Judge Rajat Varma; Rs 20.40 lakh recovered from him (Rs 12 lakh from his room, Rs 8.4 lakh returned by his brother) — the largest single recovery among the eight arrested, out of Rs 79.85 lakh total. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/sit-in-ram-mandir-embezzlement-case-intensifies-probe-up-police-question-accused-avinash-shukla20260703104350/ ANI (July 3, 2026): police were questioning Shukla at the SOG office in Ayodhya, consistent with remand having been granted at the July 2 hearing. ✓ reachable · archived