Focus on ‘irregularities’ in Ayodhya Ram temple donation as first SIT files report to Yogi Adityanath government | Today’s news
A special investigation team probing allegations of misappropriation of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has submitted its preliminary inquiry report to the Uttar Pradesh government on June 23, officials told news agency PTI.
The preliminary report was submitted by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, the news agency said. The report is preliminary and investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is ongoing and more facts are being gathered.
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The Uttar Pradesh government set up an SIT on June 13 at the request of the temple trust following allegations of misappropriation of donations received at the Ayodhya Ram temple.
After the SIT submitted its preliminary report, Pant told PTI Videos that the SIT is looking to submit its final report in the next 10 to 15 days.
“Based on the information that has come to light so far and the facts available to us, we have submitted a first report today. This is only a preliminary report and the final report will be submitted after some time,” Pant said, adding that the report is confidential and he is not authorized to release details of the findings to the media at this stage.
Asked if the team would return to Ayodhya for further investigation as the report submitted was only preliminary, Pant told PTI, “Of course we will do it as per the requirements.”
What is the gift line?
The Ram Mandir donation dispute is an ongoing controversy involving allegations of massive financial irregularities, theft and misappropriation of cash and valuables offered by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust he had earlier denied allegations of misappropriation of donations and maintained that all money and valuables offered by devotees are handled through set procedures involving counting, verification and safe deposit mechanisms.
On Friday, the Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said “truth will prevail” after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) completed its probe into the embezzlement allegations. Adityanath also appealed to political parties to refrain from “baseless comments” until the investigation is over.
What did Akhilesh Yadav say?
On June 7, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav cited reports that claimed crores of rupees of donations offered at the Ram temple were missing and urged the courts to take cognizance of the matter.
Demanding daily briefings on the SIT probe, former UP CM Yadav alleged that public confidence in the agency had been eroded due to what he described as “widespread corruption under the BJP government”.
The SIT probing the alleged misappropriation of gad funds has instructed his trust and temple functionaries not to leave Ayodhya. Investigators found irregularities in bid documentation such as gold, silver and precious stones, news agencies reported.
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One of the key findings of the SIT relates to records of gold and silver jewelery and other precious stones, including diamonds, offered to Lord Ram by devotees, the news agency said. Investigators found irregularities in the documentation and billing of such offers, the report said, citing unnamed sources.
Officials previously said in multiple agency reports that there were major irregularities during it Maha Kumbh Mela period in January to February 2025 when the temple witnessed an unprecedented influx of devotees.
Based on the information that has come to light so far, we filed a first report today.
They said nearly 10,000 devotees visited the temple daily over a two-month period and the donation boxes were reportedly filled with currency notes within hours, making monitoring and accounting of donations a major focus of the SIT’s investigation.
