The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to submit its much-awaited final report to the Uttar Pradesh government within the next 48 hours, even as senior officials remained tight-lipped on Wednesday over the status of the confidential investigation.
The three-member SIT, whose deadline ended on July 15 after receiving an extension earlier this month, is understood to be in the final stages of compiling its findings. Highly placed sources said investigators are giving the report its final shape after completing scrutiny of financial records, CCTV footage, security protocols and statements of those examined during the probe.
Despite the deadline expiring on Wednesday, no official confirmation was forthcoming from the state home department or other authorities regarding the submission of the report or a fresh extension. Senior officials declined to comment when contacted, maintaining silence over the progress of one of the state’s most closely watched investigations.
Sources familiar with the development, however, said the report is likely to be submitted within the next 48 hours. According to them, the SIT is carefully finalising its conclusions as the findings could determine accountability not only of the arrested contractual cash-counting personnel but also of officials responsible for supervising the temple’s donation management system.
The investigation has expanded considerably since the SIT was constituted by the state government following the detection of alleged irregularities in handling temple donations. What began as an inquiry into alleged theft by outsourced cash-counting employees has evolved into a comprehensive examination of the systems governing the receipt, counting, storage and banking of temple donations.
{{/usCountry}}The investigation has expanded considerably since the SIT was constituted by the state government following the detection of alleged irregularities in handling temple donations. What began as an inquiry into alleged theft by outsourced cash-counting employees has evolved into a comprehensive examination of the systems governing the receipt, counting, storage and banking of temple donations.
{{/usCountry}}A confidential preliminary report submitted on June 23 reportedly found repeated violations of security protocols jointly framed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the State Bank of India (SBI). While the preliminary findings identified six contractual cash-counting personnel and two other supervising staff as prima facie involved in the alleged embezzlement based on CCTV footage, recoveries and financial evidence, they stopped short of assigning responsibility to supervisory officials.
Instead, the report recommended a detailed examination of whether officials entrusted with enforcing the security architecture failed to perform their assigned responsibilities, thereby allowing the alleged diversion of donations to continue undetected over an extended period.
As part of the inquiry, the SIT has scrutinised compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the counting process. Investigators examined whether mandatory frisking, biometric attendance, pocketless uniforms, segregation of donations from different hundis and supervision by designated officials were implemented in accordance with prescribed norms.
The SIT has also examined revisions made to the SOP in February 2025, particularly changes relating to frisking procedures, while assessing whether the modified safeguards weakened the existing security framework or were ignored altogether.
According to sources, the SIT has analysed CCTV footage, audit observations, banking records and internal documentation while also reviewing the Trust’s financial controls, management of jewellery offerings, land transactions and deployment of outsourced manpower.
The final report is expected to recommend the course of action to be taken by the state government, including whether further criminal proceedings, departmental action or administrative reforms are warranted. Officials indicated that the report is also likely to contain recommendations aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and security in the management of donations at the Ram Temple.
While the government has maintained complete silence over the report’s status, sources said the SIT has entered the final phase of its work and is expected to place its findings before the state government within the next two days.
The controversy first surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that donations worth ₹5 crore to ₹7.5 crore were siphoned off from temple offerings. On June 13, the state government set up an SIT comprising Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Panth, inspector general of police (Lucknow range) Kiran S and special secretary (finance) Neel Ratan).
The SIT was in Ayodhya from June 15 to 20 for the first phase of its probe and submitted its preliminary report to the state home department on June 23.
On June 25, a first information report was registered against eight named accused and other unidentified people under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), relating to offences such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft and criminal conspiracy, along with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
On June 26, eight men were arrested -- Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav ‘Tinnu’, Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Ramashankar Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey.
The three-member SIT visited Ayodhya again, conducting its probe there on July 2 and 3.