An initial probe into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has confirmed that cash actually went missing during counting, and the Special Investigation Team looking into the matter has directly named six employees as suspects. The SIT's preliminary report also flags serious gaps in the temple's security and monitoring systems. The report has now been handed over to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, putting the matter squarely in the trust's hands as it decides on further legal action. The findings add fresh scrutiny to how one of India's most visited pilgrimage sites handles the enormous volume of cash and valuables devotees offer every single day.
Employees caught hiding cash in pockets and shoes
Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri told reporters after a meeting that the SIT's preliminary report was read out before the trustees, though it wasn't discussed or debated. He also made clear that the SIT's investigation is still ongoing and will continue. According to the report, CCTV footage from between April 27 and June 5 was examined, and on multiple occasions employees inside the counting room were seen hiding bundles of notes and loose cash in their clothes, pockets, shoes and other places. The SIT's report lists around 70 such suspicious incidents, indicating this wasn't an isolated lapse but a pattern that repeated itself again and again.
Security protocols openly ignored
The investigation team found that these irregularities don't look like standalone incidents at all, but rather a deliberate, repeated process followed over several days. The SIT found that the security protocols laid down for the counting room simply weren't being followed. Employees weren't searched when entering or leaving the room, and there was no real control over their personal belongings. Cash from multiple donation boxes was counted together rather than separately, making it harder to track, and the report also found serious lapses in how valuable offerings were documented and verified. Taken together, these gaps meant the same employees who counted the cash also had ample opportunity to pocket some of it before it was ever formally recorded, without anyone noticing the shortfall.
Six employees named directly, eight already arrested
The SIT's report names Avinash Shukla, Anukul Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ram Shankar Mishra, saying their prima facie involvement has come to light. Including these six, a total of eight people have already been arrested in the case. The report says around Rs 78.94 lakh was recovered from some employees even before the investigation formally began. It also mentions that about Rs 2.25 lakh was recovered from the counting room itself on June 4.
Bank accounts show transactions far beyond declared income
The SIT said that when the accused employees' bank accounts were examined, cash deposits and financial transactions were found to be far higher than their declared income, which is why a detailed financial investigation is now considered necessary. The report also raises questions about the trust's oversight systems, stating plainly that serious lapses in security arrangements, CCTV monitoring, compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP), employee searches and supervision together made the alleged theft and embezzlement possible.
Claims of missing silver bricks not confirmed
There had also been talk on social media that silver bricks and other valuable offerings had gone missing from the temple, but the SIT's preliminary investigation did not confirm these allegations. Even so, the SIT has recommended that the entire system for managing, documenting and verifying valuable offerings be strengthened further so similar gaps cannot be exploited again. The Uttar Pradesh government sent a copy of the SIT's preliminary report to the trust on June 25, informing it of the investigation's findings. The report was made public attached to a statement issued after the trust's meeting on Monday.
Champat Rai and Anil Mishra's resignations accepted
Amid this ongoing dispute over the management of temple donations, the trust took a major decision on Monday, accepting the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra. Krishna Mohan has been appointed interim general secretary in their place. Treasurer Govind Dev Giri reiterated at the time that this is only a preliminary report and that the investigation will continue. He described allegations about missing jewellery and other valuable offerings as completely baseless, and even displayed the jewellery and other valuable offerings before the media, saying the trust had kept them fully secure.
Probe still open, SIT gets 15 more days
The SIT has itself made clear that this report is only at an early stage, and further legal action will be decided only once the detailed investigation is complete. The Uttar Pradesh government extended the SIT's tenure by 15 days on July 1 so the investigation could be carried out in full depth. The SIT was originally formed on June 13 to investigate allegations of theft and embezzlement during the counting of donations at the Ram temple.
