Ram temple donation theft case: Big revelations in the initial report of SIT, evidence of theft found 70 times in 40 days

Ayodhya: The case of alleged theft of donation money in Ayodhya’s Ram temple has taken a new turn. After the preliminary report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing this case came out, many shocking facts have come to light. According to the report, irregularities were taking place during the counting of temple donations for a long time and suspicious activities of the employees are clearly visible in the CCTV footage. Initial investigation has also indicated that the incidents of theft were not limited to recent times only, but such incidents may have been happening earlier also. Now a thorough investigation of this entire matter is going on and the final report is awaited.

According to the SIT report, the CCTV cameras installed in the donation counting room were examined between April 27 and June 5, 2026. In this, about 70 such incidents came to light within about 40 days, in which some employees were seen carrying cash secretly. Investigation also found that some people were taking money out by keeping it in their pockets and socks. It has been feared in the report that similar incidents may have happened before this period as well, which are being investigated separately.

Recommendation of action against many people

Based on the investigation report, the police has started action against many people. So far, a case has been registered against eight people and they have been arrested. At the same time, the SIT has recommended registering an FIR against six prominent people under sections like theft, embezzlement and criminal conspiracy. The names of Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra are included in the report. Apart from this, it has also been advised to investigate the role of the in-charge of the counting room and some other monitoring officers separately.

Many major negligence found in security arrangements

The SIT investigation also revealed that the standard procedure (SOP) fixed during counting of donations was not followed properly. According to the report, employees were not searched at the time of entry and exit from the counting room. Employees were allowed to wear clothing with pockets and carry their personal belongings inside. Apart from this, cash from different donors was counted together, which affected monitoring and transparency. The report also said that monitoring of CCTV cameras was not effective, due to which incidents of theft could not be detected for a long time.

Lakhs of rupees recovered even before SIT was formed

It has been told in the report that even before the formation of SIT, Ram Mandir Trust had taken internal action and recovered about Rs 78.94 lakh, foreign currency, jewelery and other valuables from the employees involved in the counting process. Apart from this, it has been mentioned in the report that on June 4, about Rs 2.25 lakh in cash was found in the toilet located near the counting room. During the investigation, there were indications of deposits of money in the bank accounts of some of the accused disproportionate to their income and large transactions, the financial investigation of which is ongoing.

Investigation into silver bricks and precious offerings also continues

The SIT has also clarified in its report that the claims regarding disappearance of silver bricks and other valuable offerings which were viral on social media are also being investigated. At present, no final conclusion has been drawn in this regard. The investigating agency says that investigation is still going on on many aspects and a clear picture of the entire matter will emerge after the final report comes. The government has given time till July 15 to the SIT to complete the detailed investigation. After this, further legal action will be decided on the basis of the final report.