Ram Temple (TNN)
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations of embezzlement of funds at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has instructed trust and temple functionaries not to leave the city as the investigation enters a crucial phase.The directive was issued before the three-member SIT departed for Lucknow on Sunday, PTI reported.The Uttar Pradesh government constituted the SIT on June 13.The three-member panel comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.Discrepancies found in donations recordsSources associated with the investigation claimed that one of the SIT’s key findings relates to the documentation and accounting of offerings made by devotees, including gold and silver jewellery, diamonds, and other precious stones.During questioning, several trust office-bearers were allegedly unable to provide satisfactory explanations.Maha Kumbh period under scannerThe SIT is also examining transactions and donation records from the Maha Kumbh Mela period in January and February 2025, when the temple witnessed an unprecedented surge in footfall.Sources claimed that nearly 10 lakh devotees visited the temple daily during the two-month period, with donation boxes reportedly filling up with cash within hours.Investigators are also scrutinising land purchases made by the temple trust in different phases, along with the procurement of construction materials used for the temple project.
