The Special Investigation Team's (SIT) preliminary report into the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case has identified around 70 suspicious incidents captured on CCTV between April 27 and June 5, 2026, indicating prima facie evidence of misappropriation by employees involved in counting devotees' offerings.
According to the report, CCTV footage allegedly shows counting staff concealing wads of cash during the counting process. The findings are supported by recoveries of cash and valuables, along with bank deposits that appear disproportionate to the accused persons' known sources of income.
SIT preliminary report on Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case | The report states prima facie, around 70 suspicious incidents captured on CCTV between April 27 and June 5, 2026. In CCTV footage, counting staff seen concealing wads of cash. Recovered cash, valuables and…
— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2026
The SIT has identified the role of six individuals as suspicious based on CCTV footage, recoveries and other evidence. They are:
The report points to multiple procedural failures that allegedly made the offence possible. It states that employees were not frisked while entering or leaving the counting room, personal belongings were allowed inside, and cash collected from multiple donation boxes was counted together instead of being processed separately.
The SIT also found that complete records of cash and weight were not maintained and CCTV surveillance was inadequate during the counting process.
The report mentions that approximately Rs 78.94 lakh was recovered from some employees before the investigation formally began. An additional Rs 2.25 lakh was allegedly recovered from a bathroom attached to the donation counting room on June 4, 2026.
The SIT has also criticised the overall monitoring mechanism, stating that supervisors appointed by the Trust and other responsible officials failed to ensure compliance with the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The report says lax enforcement of security protocols allowed the alleged thefts to go undetected.
According to the SIT, several provisions of the SOP and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ram Temple Trust and the bank responsible for donation counting were not properly implemented. Rules governing entry into the counting room, frisking, record maintenance and security arrangements largely remained confined to paper, the report notes.
The SIT further states that scrutiny of the bank accounts of the accused and their family members has revealed indications of deposits exceeding their known sources of income. It has recommended a detailed investigation into their bank accounts, assets and financial transactions to trace the alleged misappropriated donation money.
The report, however, says no prima facie evidence has been found to support claims circulated on social media regarding the alleged disappearance of silver bricks or other valuable offerings from the Ram Temple.
