Lucknow/Ayodhya, July 19 -- Following new revelations in the Ram temple donation theft case, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the Ayodhya police have started collecting details of all persons associated with the key accused, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu even as the scope of investigation has now widened to examine all persons involved in the temple's daily business. The move comes after a close associate, Mahesh Kumar, came under the Ayodhya Police scanner during the ongoing investigation. Kumar, a native of the Basti district, had been living as a tenant at Yadav's residence for several years, according to Trust sources. He nas not been arrested nor named as an accused yet. "Ram Shankar Yadav, Mahesh Kumar and others working with them or closely associated with them are under scanner," said an official of the Trust. Mahesh Kumar was engaged by the Trust at the Ram temple after construction work commenced and reportedly received a monthly honorarium of around Rs 15,000-18,000. He was working in the temple's accounts department. "In all probability, cash embezzled from the Ram temple might have been handed over to another person as a precautionary measure," an Ayodhya police officer said. According to a senior police officer of Ayodhya, an investigation is being conducted into all the facts that have come up in the donation theft case and into the role of all related persons. Police sources said that nearly 50 people were engaged in counting currency notes donated by devotees at the temple. These were recruited on recommendations made by the Trust office bearers or others closely associated with them. Investigators are now examining the backgrounds of these employees and whether any of them accumulated assets disproportionate to their known sources of income after joining the cash counting duty, sources said. According to sources, Tinnu Yadav was also working as a contractor and running a construction company 'Saundarya Construction,' in his wife Poonam Devi's name. The firm has been registered with the Public Works Department (PWD) since 2023. Tinnu's son was employed with the PWD's Ayodhya office (formerly Faizabad) on a contractual basis. Sources claim that in the first year of registration with the department, the firm was awarded work worth nearly Rs 47 lakh. The company bagged tenders for small construction works and was engaged in various government projects, the sources added. Now, the probe is focused on whether Tinnu Yadav parked the money allegedly embezzled from the Ram temple in PWD contracts. Police are also probing whether Tinnu's son has invested money in the stock market....