The report, handed over on Tuesday morning, is understood to contain evidence related to the alleged misappropriation of offerings, suspected commission payments, and procedural lapses in the management of temple donations. The findings are expected to be placed before Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for further action.
The SIT, comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Lucknow Range Inspector General Kiran S, and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan, submitted the confidential report at the state secretariat around 11 a.m.
Sources said the inquiry has raised concerns over the appointment of personnel involved in handling donations and the processes used for counting cash offerings. Investigators have reportedly collected documentary evidence and recorded statements from witnesses during the course of the probe.
The SIT spent six days in Ayodhya examining records, interviewing officials and reviewing operational procedures linked to the collection and counting of donations at the temple.
According to sources, the report has questioned the oversight exercised by certain office-bearers of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. While some individuals have been suspected of possible involvement in irregularities, others have allegedly been held accountable for lapses in supervision that allowed the alleged misappropriation to occur.
The report is also said to mention the names of trust functionaries and individuals associated with them. However, no official findings have yet been made public and the allegations have not been independently verified.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the SIT has identified the possible involvement of 25 to 30 individuals in the alleged diversion of donation funds. The report reportedly recommends criminal action against those found directly involved.
The inquiry has also examined allegations that certain employees engaged in counting donations were appointed through an outsourcing arrangement but were linked to individuals associated with the trust. Investigators are looking into claims that the recruitment process lacked adequate safeguards and may have enabled a network of related or recommended individuals to gain access to donation handling operations.
According to the findings, the alleged diversion of funds may have continued for more than a year. Investigators suspect that cash was siphoned off during the counting process itself. Since donations from multiple collection boxes were pooled before counting, officials believe it became difficult to independently verify the total amount received, creating opportunities for manipulation.
The SIT has further examined security arrangements at the temple. Sources said investigators found weaknesses in employee verification procedures and access controls. Despite extensive CCTV coverage, the monitoring mechanism allegedly failed to detect irregularities in real time.
The probe has also reviewed allegations that portions of CCTV footage from previous months were unavailable. Investigators have seized available surveillance footage as part of the inquiry.
Officials stressed that the report submitted on Tuesday is only a preliminary assessment. A detailed investigation is continuing and a comprehensive report is expected within the next two weeks.
The state government has not yet issued an official statement on the contents of the report. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has also not publicly responded to the latest findings.
<!– Published on: Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 07:32 PM IST –>
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