Ram Temple donation theft probe reveals deep institutional lapses | 5 key findings from SIT Report

The preliminary report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya points to a pattern of administrative failures rather than isolated acts of misconduct. Spread across nine pages, the report identifies weaknesses in supervision, surveillance, security protocols and cash-handling systems that allegedly enabled repeated misappropriation of devotees' offerings. Investigators have documented 70 suspected incidents of theft within the period for which CCTV footage was available, while indicating that the actual scale may be significantly larger because earlier recordings were not preserved.

Here are the five principal findings of the investigation:

1. Weak supervision and unauthorised access

The SIT found that oversight over the donation-counting process was inadequate at multiple levels. Personnel responsible for supervising the counting exercise allegedly failed to enforce established security procedures, creating an environment in which irregularities could flourish.

One of the most serious observations concerns the management of donation boxes and access controls. According to the report, certain individuals handled keys and exercised operational control without any documented authorisation. Among those named is Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, who investigators say enjoyed informal influence despite lacking clear official approval. The report also holds the counting supervisor responsible for permitting such informal arrangements to continue instead of ensuring adherence to documented procedures.

2. CCTV surveillance failed to deter or detect theft

Although surveillance cameras had been installed inside the counting room, the SIT concluded that the monitoring system functioned poorly in practice. Investigators found that footage was preserved for only 45 days, despite earlier audit recommendations that recordings be retained for 180 days.

Within the available recordings—from April 27 to June 6—the SIT identified 70 separate instances of suspected theft or embezzlement. Investigators believe the alleged pilferage may have begun well before this period but said the absence of older footage makes it impossible to determine the full extent of losses.

The report states that the available recordings repeatedly show employees allegedly concealing bundles of currency notes and loose cash inside clothing, pockets and footwear, while in some cases other staff members appeared to facilitate or shield these actions.

3. Security protocols were routinely ignored

The investigation also uncovered multiple failures in physical security that weakened safeguards around the handling of donations.

Among the shortcomings identified were inadequate frisking of personnel entering and leaving the counting room, poor enforcement of the prescribed dress code, insufficient restrictions on carrying personal belongings into secure areas, failure to maintain separate counting records for individual donation boxes, and inadequate denomination-wise accounting of cash.

Taken together, the report suggests these lapses significantly reduced accountability and increased opportunities for unauthorised removal of money during the counting process.

4. Standard operating procedures were diluted and poorly enforced

The SIT questioned both the design and implementation of the standard operating procedures governing donation counting.

An arrangement introduced in September 2024 had required every individual entering or exiting the counting room to undergo mandatory security checks. However, a revised Standard Operating Procedure issued in February 2025 relaxed this requirement, replacing compulsory frisking with periodic or random checks.

Investigators said the reasons behind this change require closer scrutiny, particularly because even the reduced security checks were allegedly not carried out consistently. The report also points to a lack of sustained monitoring by officials responsible for framing and implementing these procedures, noting little evidence of regular reviews or effective supervisory oversight despite representatives of both the temple trust and the bank being present during counting operations.

5. Cash-counting and documentation systems lacked accountability

Perhaps the most significant structural weakness identified by the SIT relates to the handling and accounting of donations themselves.

According to the report, prescribed procedures requiring separate recording and counting of offerings from individual hundis were routinely ignored. Instead, the contents of multiple donation boxes were allegedly mixed together before counting, making it impossible to establish the amount collected from each source.

Investigators also found no effective system for numbering or tracking the containers used to transport donations, leaving no reliable record of which boxes originated from which hundi, when they were received, which had been counted, or which remained pending.

Given the enormous volume of public donations received by the temple, the SIT described these deficiencies as a major weakness in financial accountability and audit compliance, warning that they severely compromised transparency throughout the donation management process.