Lucknow. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case of alleged irregularities and theft in the amount of offerings in the Ram temple located in Ayodhya, submitted its preliminary report to the government on Tuesday. In the report, serious questions have been raised regarding the management of the amount of offerings, appointment process of employees, counting system and monitoring system. Also, there is a need to investigate the role of many individuals.
SIT members Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, IG Range Kiran S and Special Secretary Finance Neil Ratan submitted the confidential investigation report to Additional Chief Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad on Tuesday morning. Now this report will be presented before the Chief Minister, on the basis of which further action can be decided.
What came out in the preliminary investigation
According to sources, the preliminary report of the SIT has raised suspicion of serious irregularities in the management of the amount of offerings. The report said there is a need to investigate the discrepancy between the calculations of donations coming to the temple and its records. There are also indications that some people may have taken advantage of the weaknesses of the system and committed financial irregularities. In the report, questions have been raised on the role of some officials, while some have been held responsible for negligence in monitoring. However, the final findings will emerge only after the detailed investigation is completed.
Appointment process also under scrutiny
The SIT has also raised questions on the appointment process of the employees counting the offerings. According to the information, the work of calculating the amount of donation was done through the banking system, but investigation is being done on many points regarding the selection and deployment of employees. It is feared in the report that there was a lack of transparency in the appointments and some people were given responsibilities on the basis of influence. The investigating agencies have also collected documents and other evidence related to this.
Need for increased testing during Mahakumbh and Magh Mela
Investigation has also revealed that there was a huge increase in the number of devotees coming to Ayodhya during Mahakumbh last year and Magh Mela this year. Due to this, the amount of offerings in the temple also increased manifold. The SIT is investigating whether there were any irregularities in the management and calculation process of offerings during the same period. The investigation team is matching relevant records, banking documents, calculation registers and other financial details.
Question on counting process
According to sources, investigation has revealed the fact that the amount withdrawn from donation boxes was collected and counted collectively. The SIT is probing whether adequate monitoring and audit mechanisms were in place in the process. Experts believe that handling large amounts of cash requires multi-level monitoring, digital recording and independent audits. The investigation team is also reviewing this aspect.
CCTV and security system also checked
The footage of CCTV cameras installed in the Ram Mandir complex is also under investigation. SIT has taken possession of many digital records and surveillance related documents. The investigating officers are trying to find out how effective the security and surveillance system was and whether there was any negligence at any level. According to sources, investigation is going on into many important aspects related to CCTV recording, entry-exit system and activities of the employees.
Investigation of the role of 25 to 30 people
Sources related to the investigation claim that the role of 25 to 30 people associated with the offering management is under investigation. These may include employees as well as other responsible persons. However, no final blame has been fixed against anyone yet. SIT says that this is only a preliminary report and detailed investigation is still going on. A more comprehensive report will be prepared over the next two weeks, including a detailed analysis of facts, documents and technical evidence.
After the preliminary report is submitted to the government, the government will now decide on further action. If the investigation finds sufficient evidence of financial irregularities or criminal activity, then legal action can be taken by registering a case against the concerned persons. At present, the administration, devotees and the general public are keeping an eye on the entire matter. A detailed investigation report of this incident related to Ram Temple, which is included in the most important religious places of the country, is awaited, so that it can be clear what actually happened in the management of the amount of offerings and who is responsible for it.
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