Claim

The cash theft began during the Kumbh Mela, averaged ₹5-6 lakh per day, and by the time the matter surfaced on June 4 an estimated more than ₹4 crore had been stolen.

“मेरी जानकारी है कि रुपए चोरी करने की शुरुआत कुंभ मेले के दौरान हुई... ऑन एन एवरेज रोज 5 से 6 लाख की चोरी हुई... जब 4 जून को यह मामला खुला तब तक करीब 4 करोड़ से ज्यादा रुपए गायब किए गए। लेकिन यह सिर्फ एक एस्टीमेट है।”

Rationale

The underlying event (theft of Ram Mandir donation cash in Ayodhya, surfacing in early June 2026) is real, but the three specific quantitative claims are explicitly presented by the anchor himself as an estimate ('यह सिर्फ एक एस्टीमेट है'). Independent reporting does not confirm them: the Kumbh Mela (Jan-Feb 2025) starting point is unsupported by SIT evidence, whose CCTV window begins only 27 April 2026 and which describes a racket 'active 2-3 years'; the Rs 5-6 lakh/day rate appears only in Rajat Sharma's own account; and the total is unresolved, with other sources alleging Rs 7-7.5 crore or more while the investigation is ongoing. The 'June 4' surfacing roughly matches early-June internal discovery but public surfacing is dated to ~7 June. Because the figures are self-described estimates about an open investigation with no confirmed official total, the claim is unverifiable as stated.

Evidence

• https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/opinion-the-full-story-of-loot-in-ram-mandir-who-did-it-how-much-was-looted-where-has-the-jewellery-gone-2026-07-01-1046791 Rajat Sharma's own India TV column repeats the identical figures — theft 'started during the January 2025 Kumbh Mela,' 'Rs 5-6 lakh stolen daily,' and 'the entire theft could be more than Rs 4 crore' — all explicitly framed as his estimate, not confirmed data. ✓ reachable · archived
• https://www.timesnowhindi.com/cities/ram-temple-donation-theft-sit-says-racket-was-active-for-2-3-years-what-does-20-page-report-reveal-article-154768819 SIT's 20-page report says the racket was active for 2-3 years and that CCTV evidence exists only from 27 April 2026 to 5 June 2026 (about 70 theft instances) — the Kumbh Mela (Jan-Feb 2025) start point is not corroborated by the actual footage window. ✓ reachable · archived
• https://www.aajtak.in/uttar-pradesh/story/ram-mandir-donation-controversy-timeline-sit-probe-lakhs-rupee-hidden-in-cow-dung-akhilesh-yadav-and-cm-yogi-comments-lcly-dskc-2578350-2026-06-14 Timeline: discrepancies found in an early-June routine audit; the matter became public around 7 June 2026 (SP leaders' press conference); SIT formed 13 June. No official daily-rate or confirmed total is given. ✓ reachable · archived
• https://www.republicbharat.com/india/uttar-pradesh/ram-mandir-donation-theft-first-fir-after-sit-primary-report-cm-yogi-adityanath-2026-06-25-126779 Estimates of the total loot vary widely across sources — SP leaders alleged Rs 7-7.5 crore and some claims run far higher — with no confirmed official figure, so the specific 'more than Rs 4 crore' cannot be verified. ✓ reachable · archived