The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing alleged irregularities in donations to the Ram temple, focused on what officials described as a pattern of administrative and security lapses that may have enabled the alleged embezzlement over a long period, officials familiar with the investigation said.
The three-member Special Investigation Committee, which includes Lucknow District Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police (Lucknow) Kiran S, and Special Secretary (Finance) Neil Ratan, submitted its interim report to the state on June 23, but the investigation is ongoing, officials said. The initial findings by the Special Investigation Team also pointed to multiple systemic deficiencies, including alleged violations of standard operating procedures, inadequate inspection of staff involved in counting donations, weak supervision, deficiencies in CCTV surveillance, and loopholes in the settlement of cash deposited in banks, officials said.
However, investigators confirmed that no evidence has so far emerged indicating the involvement of any Trust Office officials in any wrongdoing. Officials said the investigation has now entered a broader phase, with more than 100 people likely to be questioned, including temple staff, security personnel, donation census staff, bank officials and contract workers.
Among the people being sought by investigators is a police radio and communications officer who has been working in Ayodhya for nearly 17 years. According to officials familiar with the investigation, the inspector-rank officer, who was appointed as Radio Maintenance Officer (RMO) through recruitment in 2006, spent nearly 17 years of his nearly 20 years of service in Ayodhya despite repeated transfer orders issued by the Police Radio and Communications Headquarters.
The officer’s official responsibility was limited to maintaining the temple’s CCTV surveillance network and wireless communications systems. However, the SIT’s preliminary findings indicate that he was also involved in administrative and operational matters within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex. It is certain that this officer has not been arrested yet.
The Ram Temple was dedicated in January 2024.
Officials said the CCTV recordings were kept for only 45 days.
“The available surveillance footage covers only the last 45 days. If similar thefts happened earlier, there is no CCTV record available to verify them,” an official associated with the investigation said. The SIT recommended retaining CCTV records for 180 days.
Investigators are reconstructing the alleged conspiracy through financial records, digital evidence, CCTV footage, statements, attendance records, shift rosters and cash settlement records.
The arrested accused are the main accused Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tino, a close aide of Ray, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Manish Yadav, Lavkush Mishra, Ramashankar Mishra and Subhash Srivastava.
The police have already recovered $79.85 lakh from seven of the eight accused and are preparing to seek remand to trace the remaining funds, identify additional conspirators and establish the complete trail of funds.
Police officials said investigators are questioning people associated with the temple’s fundraising, counting and banking operations, including employees, security personnel, bank officials and contractual employees. Senior officers said interrogation of the eight accused while in custody is necessary to identify additional conspirators, establish the financial trail and determine whether others had intentionally facilitated the alleged diversion of devotees’ offerings.
A senior police officer said: “The investigation is expanding rapidly. Every individual who had access to collecting, counting, transferring or depositing donations is being examined…”
