Goa, July 8 -- The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has named Avinash Shukla as the prime accused in the alleged theft of devotees' donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

According to its preliminary report, Shukla is suspected of masterminding nearly 70 incidents of alleged pilferage over a 40-day period while working in the temple's donation-counting room. Investigators say CCTV footage, bank transaction records, witness statements and recovered cash have established a strong evidence trail against him. Police have recovered over Rs.20 lakh in cash, foreign currency, gold, silver and other valuables from Shukla, while total recoveries in the case have exceeded Rs.79 lakh.

The SIT has also identified five other accused and expanded it...