SIT finds evidence of cash theft in Ram temple donation counting, flags major lapses

A preliminary investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has found evidence of systematic cash pilferage during the counting of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, while also pointing to serious lapses in supervision and security procedures.

The SIT, constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government after allegations of irregularities surfaced, submitted its initial report days after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust sought a formal inquiry into the handling of temple donations.

According to the report, CCTV footage recorded between 27 April and 5 June this year captured multiple instances of staff allegedly concealing cash bundles and loose notes in their clothes, shoes and other personal belongings during the counting process. Investigators said six men — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra — had been identified with prima facie evidence linking them to the theft. Police cases have been registered against them.

The report also highlights significant procedural failures in the donation-counting system despite an existing memorandum of understanding and standard operating procedure agreed with the State Bank of India. Among the lapses cited were the absence of proper frisking of staff at entry and exit points, lack of biometric attendance, failure to count donations hundi-wise, mixing of offerings from different donation boxes, non-enforcement of dress rules and restrictions on personal items, and unauthorised access to keys of donation boxes.

Trust functionaries, including former trustee Dr Anil Mishra and counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava, have been held responsible for oversight failures, according to the findings.

The SIT said cash and other items worth around Rs 78.94 lakh had already been recovered from the accused before the formal probe began. It also found that bank deposits linked to some of the accused were disproportionate to their salaries.

In response to the findings, the temple trust on Monday accepted the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, saying they had stepped down on moral grounds. The trust said it had begun implementing corrective measures, while the SIT would continue its investigation and recommend systemic reforms to improve transparency and accountability in the handling of donations.

At the same time, the report said several claims circulating on social media — including allegations that silver, bricks and other valuables offered at the temple had disappeared — were not prima facie supported by evidence. Even so, it recommended stronger systems for the documentation and management of valuable offerings.

The findings are likely to intensify the political controversy around the Ayodhya temple donations, even as the trust has maintained that worship and donation activities at the shrine continue without disruption and that public faith remains undiminished.

With IANS inputs