SIT finds major SOP violations in Ayodhya Ram temple donation fraud probe

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has found serious violations of the shrine's standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling cash and valuables, leading to the arrest of eight people associated with the donation-counting process.

While investigators are yet to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud and the exact amount siphoned off, the SIT's preliminary report has identified multiple procedural lapses that it believes enabled the alleged embezzlement.

According to sources, mandatory safeguards such as deploying security personnel during cash counting, frisking staff entering and leaving the counting room, and preserving CCTV footage for 180 days were not followed.

The probe also found that Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, a former driver of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, held keys to several donation boxes ('hundis'), contrary to prescribed procedures.

"Many hundis were there. So cash received in those hundis whose keys were with Tinnu was swindled apparently due to laxity in implementing the SOPs. The exact modus operandi is still being established," a source said.

The SOPs were framed in 2025 after trust officials suspected irregularities in the donation-counting process. They were approved by trust member Anil Mishra and State Bank of India representative Govind Mishra.

The guidelines required donation-counting staff to wear pocketless clothing, deployment of security guards through Sainik Security Services (SIS), frisking of personnel entering and exiting counting rooms, and random checks. According to the SIT, these measures were not implemented.

The investigation also found that CCTV footage of the counting process was retained for only 45 days instead of the stipulated 180 days.

The SIT report further states that donation-counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava, one of the accused, was appointed on the recommendation of one of the trust's top three office-bearers.

The controversy began on 7 June after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of donations at the temple. Champat Rai had then rejected the allegations, saying an internal audit had found nothing significant.

The SIT was constituted on 13 June on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Sources said its preliminary report, submitted to the government on 23 June, recommended a major overhaul of the temple's donation management system.

Following the report, an FIR was registered on 25 June and eight accused — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav — were arrested.

Police said Tinnu Yadav had arranged the appointment of his relative and co-accused Manish Kumar Yadav in the temple's cash-counting unit. All eight accused have been remanded to judicial custody until Monday.

According to sources, investigators have so far recovered nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash and some foreign currency from six of the accused. They also said Rs 2.5 lakh was recovered from a washroom near the donation-counting room shortly before the SIT was constituted.

The sources described the alleged fraud as "hugely embarrassing", saying those responsible for overseeing the trust's functioning had remained unaware of the alleged irregularities.