Chargesheet in Ram temple theft row by September 25

The Uttar Pradesh Government told the Supreme Court on Monday that investigators have identified 105 instances of unauthorised removal of currency from donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, all captured on CCTV.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, presented a status report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) examining the alleged misappropriation of devotees’ offerings before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.

Mehta told the court that the investigation was largely complete. He mentioned that the SIT would submit the chargesheet to the jurisdictional Additional Sessions Judge by September 25.

Since the 90-day statutory period beginning with the first arrest ends on that date, the accused would be entitled to default bail if the chargesheet is not filed.

The Bench stated that the report examined the role of each person alleged to be involved.

It instructed the magistrate to act on the chargesheet in accordance with the law and requested that the State also send a copy of the chargesheet to the SC. The court refused to provide the petitioners with a copy of the sealed status report, on the ground that the judicial order summarised its contents.

The case started in June 2026 when officials noticed that the cash collected from donation boxes did not match the amount deposited in the banks. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust requested an investigation. On June 13, the State formed a three-member SIT led by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, with Kiran S. as Range Inspector General and Neel Ratan Kumar as Special Secretary (Finance).

Following the Supreme Court’s July directions, the team was reconstituted, and a forensic auditor was added. A preliminary SIT report, submitted on June 23, reviewed CCTV footage from April 27 to June 5 and identified about 70 suspected cases of theft or pilferage.

The staff were seen hiding bundles of notes and loose cash in their clothing, pockets, and shoes. Some employees were said to have blocked the camera view, while others took the notes. Later on, hidden cameras placed by members of the trust recorded the same kind of activity.

It was discovered that standard operating procedures had been ignored: security guards were not posted during the count, personnel were not searched on entry and exit, and footage was kept for only 45 days rather than the recommended 180 days.

Police filed an FIR that named eight people involved in counting cash and valuables: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu, along with others whose names are not known. Police arrested all eight in late June.

Investigators recovered almost Rs 80 lakh in cash from several of the accused. Bank records and witness statements suggest the practice may have started before the available footage. Two senior trust officials, one of them the general secretary, Champat Rai, resigned as a result of the controversy. The most recent status report has increased the number of recorded CCTV incidents from 70 to 105. The offences under review include criminal breach of trust and violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court has said further investigation may still occur. The SIT has reviewed CCTV footage, collected evidence, conducted forensic tests, and examined financial records. The chargesheet, expected this week, will determine the prosecution’s next step in the Sessions Court. The Supreme Court is still monitoring the case.

Ram temple CEO takes charge

Ayodhya: Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (retired) on Monday formally took charge as the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram temple here. Mishra offered prayers at the Ram temple on Monday morning before reaching his newly constructed office on the temple premises to assume charge.

Mishra, 62, was appointed the Trust’s first CEO on September 2 as part of an administrative restructuring aimed at strengthening its functioning amid allegations of theft of donations.

The Trust had selected Mishra following a multi-stage process for which 5,585 applications were received. Sixteen candidates were shortlisted for face-to-face interactions in Ayodhya on August 11 and 12.

The Trust had also clarified last week that Mishra had personally appeared for the interview on August 11, following remarks by former IPS officer Rajesh Pandey that had raised questions over the selection process.

The Trust said Mishra participated in the first session of interviews on August 11 and was among the top three candidates recommended by the search committee.

Pandey later clarified that he had not claimed Mishra did not appear for the interview, saying he had only stated that he did not see him at the venue during the time slot allotted for his own interview.